Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Salamanca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Salamanca

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $1,132 in Salamanca, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,780 in Salamanca, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,429 in Salamanca, rent included.

Medellin is about 11% cheaper than Salamanca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Salamanca are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Salamanca 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$10.67 MX$186

-43.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$39.08 MX$682

-15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$7.94 MX$139

-10.71%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$3.39 MX$59.3

-49.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.24 MX$21.70

-11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.95 MX$16.66

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$2.44 MX$42.61

-31.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.86 MX$67.4

-20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.42 MX$24.84

-23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$2.50 MX$43.72

-49.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.57 MX$27.43

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.29 MX$40.07

-4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.26 MX$144

-46.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$7.73 MX$135

-27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$10.50 MX$183

-15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.59 MX$45.27

-9.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.40 MX$24.37

-24.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.71 MX$29.85

-12.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.60 MX$27.89

-13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.83 MX$31.88

-37.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.94 MX$33.83

-40.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$1.20 MX$20.89

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$1.02 MX$17.83

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$4.12 MX$71.9

-44.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$12.39 MX$216

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.54 MX$26.81

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.73 MX$47.64

-9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.65 MX$11.37

32.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$10.40 MX$182

298.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$2.53 MX$44.14

-41.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$1.58 MX$27.61

24.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$8.19 MX$143

-5.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.29 MX$22.52

-26.36%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$20.8K MX$363.2K

-12.81%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$22.9K MX$399.6K

15.76%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$57.4 MX$1,002

43.42%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$22.04 MX$385

-56.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$28.42 MX$496

-14.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$35.48 MX$620

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$15.89 MX$278

19.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$4.72 MX$82.4

-16.74%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$202 MX$3,534

52.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$3,664 MX$64.0K

62.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$53.1 MX$927

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$40.22 MX$702

-19.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$88.0 MX$1,536

16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$78.1 MX$1,363

38.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$510 MX$8,900

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$392 MX$6,848

-3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$925 MX$16.2K

-9.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$767 MX$13.4K

-5.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,131 MX$37.2K

30.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,322 MX$23.1K

-8.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.48

16.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Salamanca: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $510 in Salamanca. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Salamanca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $250 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Salamanca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salamanca is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,698 in Salamanca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Salamanca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,013 in Medellin and $1,132 in Salamanca. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Salamanca at $1,132. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salamanca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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