Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rosario

For one person, living is cheaper in Rosario: $947 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Rosario
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Rosario Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Rosario

🇦🇷 Argentina

$947

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rosario

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $947 in Rosario, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Rosario $947

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,653 in Rosario, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Rosario $1,653

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,358 in Rosario, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Rosario $2,358

Medellin costs about 70% more than Rosario, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rosario is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.3K

$10.10 ARS 15.3K

-21.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 147.1K

$37.96 ARS 57.6K

21.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.3K

$11.72 ARS 17.8K

-18.94%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,920

$3.06 ARS 4,635

1.63%

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

$1.83 COP 5,832

$1.76 ARS 2,670

3.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,384

$1.56 ARS 2,359

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,725

$3.86 ARS 5,857

-20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$2.19 ARS 3,324

151.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,625

$1.31 ARS 1,993

10.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,537

$1.65 ARS 2,498

43.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,358

$1.59 ARS 2,405

5.66%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,127

$2.26 ARS 3,420

26.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.5K

$8.49 ARS 12.9K

20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.4K

$6.10 ARS 9,257

56.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.8K

$10.58 ARS 16.0K

32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$2.00 ARS 3,035

103.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,768

$1.53 ARS 2,316

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,929

$1.06 ARS 1,605

104.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,350

$2.05 ARS 3,112

12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,147

$0.98 ARS 1,493

96.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,224

$0.65 ARS 984

152.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,590

$1.47 ARS 2,225

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,976

$1.78 ARS 2,692

-29.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$3.36 ARS 5,090

18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.6K

$4.69 ARS 7,113

184.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,413

$1.27 ARS 1,926

33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,566

$2.72 ARS 4,127

-12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,848

$1.02 ARS 1,545

18.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,202

$1.63 ARS 2,468

-19.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,811

$1.02 ARS 1,547

109.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

$8.07 ARS 12.2K

4.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,137

$1.09 ARS 1,656

19.27%

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

$28.0K COP 89.2M

$28.5K ARS 43.2M

-1.68%

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

$35.4K COP 112.9M

$29.5K ARS 44.8M

19.88%

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

$172 COP 548.6K

$59.4 ARS 90.1K

189.81%

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

$13.37 COP 42.6K

$20.33 ARS 30.8K

-34.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.6K

$27.78 ARS 42.1K

3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 144.2K

$29.22 ARS 44.3K

54.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$4.88 ARS 7,394

28.69%

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

$770 COP 2.5M

$471 ARS 714.7K

63.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$8,757 ARS 13.3M

2.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 275.5K

$90.2 ARS 136.8K

-4.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.1K

$60.7 ARS 92.1K

-5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 435.3K

$116 ARS 175.8K

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 312.1K

$140 ARS 212.7K

-30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$254 ARS 385.9K

314.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$199 ARS 301.1K

210.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$711 ARS 1.1M

166.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$655 ARS 993.1K

56.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,031 ARS 3.1M

99.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$702 ARS 1.1M

-7.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

57.25

-80.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rosario: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Rosario

$199 21% 67.8% $417

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Rosario

$219 23.1% 25.7% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Rosario

$107 11.4% 49.8% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Rosario

$183 19.3% 7.7% $13

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Rosario

$190 20% 12.6% $21

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Rosario

$11 * 1.1% 88.4% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Rosario

$39 4.1% 32.6% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $254 in Rosario. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Rosario, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in Rosario. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $219 – making Rosario the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇷 Rosario

🕒 Local time

07:44 7:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,029,619

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,559 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Rosario 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rosario

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 Rosario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,421 in Rosario. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rosario, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $38.00 in Rosario. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rosario, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Rosario it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rosario – 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 Rosario. 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.