Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rionegro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rionegro: $1,459 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Rionegro
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Rionegro Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Rionegro

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,459

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rionegro

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 Rionegro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,459 in Rionegro, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Rionegro $1,459

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,176 in Rionegro, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Rionegro $2,176

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,894 in Rionegro, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Rionegro $2,894

Medellin costs about 16% more than Rionegro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Rionegro sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Rionegro by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$8.26 COP 26.8K

0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$47.27 COP 153.3K

-1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$9.45 COP 30.6K

0.21%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$3.09 COP 10.0K

1.29%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$1.84 COP 5,977

-3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$1.43 COP 4,650

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.06 COP 9,937

2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$5.64 COP 18.3K

1.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.43 COP 4,645

6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$2.49 COP 8,080

-8.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$1.75 COP 5,660

10.86%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.91 COP 9,447

5.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$9.91 COP 32.1K

0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$9.77 COP 31.7K

6.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$13.90 COP 45.1K

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.95 COP 12.8K

2.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.51 COP 4,886

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$2.11 COP 6,844

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$2.19 COP 7,107

4.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.99 COP 6,449

6.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$1.58 COP 5,108

8.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$1.13 COP 3,675

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$1.25 COP 4,062

26.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$3.98 COP 12.9K

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$13.51 COP 43.8K

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.65 COP 5,353

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$2.29 COP 7,437

18.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$1.07 COP 3,467

10.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$65.0 COP 210.7K

17.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$1.33 COP 4,322

36.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$2.05 COP 6,657

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$8.22 COP 26.6K

-1.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.30 COP 4,221

-1.54%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$34.2K COP 110.8M

0.82%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$34.7K COP 112.6M

-1.69%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$169 COP 547.1K

5.35%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$13.21 COP 42.8K

5.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$28.88 COP 93.7K

6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$37.76 COP 122.5K

11.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$7.08 COP 22.9K

5.51%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

0.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$8,934 COP 29.0M

37.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$85.4 COP 276.8K

1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$57.8 COP 187.5K

2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$139 COP 449.3K

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$97.6 COP 316.5K

1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$707 COP 2.3M

89.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$478 COP 1.6M

39.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,395 COP 4.5M

41.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$771 COP 2.5M

33.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,191 COP 7.1M

87.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,763 COP 5.7M

10.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rionegro: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Rionegro

$478 32.8% 28.3% $189

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Rionegro

$295 20.2% 4.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Rionegro

$211 14.5% 5.2% $12

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Rionegro

$171 11.7% 0.9% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Rionegro

$171 11.7% 0.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Rionegro

$81 5.5% 13.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Rionegro

$52 3.6% 8.8% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $707 in Rionegro. 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 in Medellin versus $47 in Rionegro. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $295 in Rionegro – so Rionegro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Rionegro

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

130,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Rionegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,188 in Rionegro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rionegro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $707 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Rionegro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,459 in Rionegro to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.