Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Río Tercero

For one person, living is cheaper in Río Tercero: $1,334 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Río Tercero
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Río Tercero Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Río Tercero

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Río Tercero

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Río Tercero actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,334 in Río Tercero, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Río Tercero $1,334

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,203 in Río Tercero, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Río Tercero $2,203

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,071 in Río Tercero, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Río Tercero $3,071

Medellin costs about 22% more than Río Tercero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Río Tercero is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$13.48 ARS 20.5K

-38.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

-14.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$13.05 ARS 19.8K

-29.20%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.75 ARS 5,688

-18.67%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.51 ARS 3,804

-28.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$2.02 ARS 3,060

-31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.22 ARS 4,887

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.75 ARS 5,688

48.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.70 ARS 2,581

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.82 ARS 4,286

-15.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.11 ARS 3,203

-19.43%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.41 ARS 3,652

22.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$10.32 ARS 15.7K

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$7.98 ARS 12.1K

22.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.49 ARS 17.4K

20.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.46 ARS 3,739

67.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.19 ARS 3,326

-30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.59 ARS 2,406

39.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.91 ARS 4,422

-21.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.24 ARS 1,876

60.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.29 ARS 1,952

29.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.26 ARS 1,915

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.66 ARS 2,525

-25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.92 ARS 7,468

-21.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$5.10 ARS 7,742

170.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.37 ARS 3,600

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.66 ARS 5,555

-34.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.00 ARS 1,520

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.24 ARS 1,880

3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.04 ARS 3,094

5.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$7.03 ARS 10.7K

19.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.17 ARS 1,773

15.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$35.0K ARS 53.2M

-0.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$35.1K ARS 53.3M

-1.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 COP 528.4K

$158 ARS 239.0K

5.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$17.11 ARS 26.0K

-20.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$31.89 ARS 48.4K

-8.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$10.08 ARS 15.3K

-30.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$790 COP 2.5M

$216 ARS 328.0K

265.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$4,079 ARS 6.2M

121.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$125 ARS 189.8K

-29.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$105 ARS 159.7K

-44.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$143 ARS 216.9K

-2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$133 ARS 201.2K

-25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$516 ARS 783.3K

99.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$324 ARS 491.6K

91.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$986 ARS 1.5M

90.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$833 ARS 1.3M

21.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

48.5

-77.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Río Tercero: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Río Tercero

$324 24.3% 47.7% $296

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Río Tercero

$276 20.7% 7.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Río Tercero

$207 15.5% 1.4% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Río Tercero

$228 17.1% 31.8% $55

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Río Tercero

$234 17.5% 36.8% $63

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Río Tercero

$15 * 1.2% 83.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Río Tercero

$52 3.9% 12.6% $7.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $516 in Río Tercero. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $55.0 in Río Tercero. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $276 in Río Tercero – so Río Tercero wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇷 Río Tercero

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

53,389

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Río Tercero 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Río Tercero

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Río Tercero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,002 in Río Tercero. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Río Tercero, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $55.0 in Río Tercero. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Río Tercero, where all-in costs run around $1,334, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Río Tercero it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Río Tercero – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Río Tercero. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.