Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Juan, Argentina

Name: San Juan
Address: San Juan, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $891 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Juan

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $891 in San Juan, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
San Juan $891

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,398 in San Juan, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
San Juan $1,398

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,904 in San Juan, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
San Juan $1,904

Medellin costs about 84% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while San Juan is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$7.16 ARS 11.0K

12.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$39.73 ARS 61.1K

18.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$12.51 ARS 19.2K

-24.06%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.62 ARS 4,030

14.89%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.19 ARS 3,365

-17.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.82 ARS 2,797

-22.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$3.96 ARS 6,094

-19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.56 ARS 7,011

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.35 ARS 2,075

11.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.38 ARS 2,122

72.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.39 ARS 2,138

27.34%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.45 ARS 2,227

99.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$2.90 ARS 4,463

251.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$6.37 ARS 9,800

54.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.75 ARS 16.5K

30.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.45 ARS 2,228

173.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.38 ARS 2,123

12.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.37 ARS 2,103

59.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.45 ARS 2,224

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.46 ARS 2,244

34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.38 ARS 2,127

15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.39 ARS 2,138

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.46 ARS 2,241

-15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.69 ARS 4,138

47.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$4.95 ARS 7,616

176.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.46 ARS 2,241

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.43 ARS 2,205

58.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.04 ARS 1,596

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.03 ARS 3,126

-37.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.97 ARS 1,494

111.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$5.04 ARS 7,758

69.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.13 ARS 1,742

19.47%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$26.8K ARS 41.2M

27.21%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$33.6K ARS 51.7M

3.10%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$141 ARS 216.9K

20.32%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$9.91 ARS 15.2K

36.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$17.96 ARS 27.6K

56.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$29.64 ARS 45.6K

47.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$6.96 ARS 10.7K

-0.72%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$173 ARS 266.4K

360.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

119.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$108 ARS 165.5K

-21.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$42.19 ARS 64.9K

37.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$56.8 ARS 87.4K

137.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$36.24 ARS 55.7K

170.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$248 ARS 380.9K

387.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$198 ARS 303.9K

224.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$500 ARS 769.5K

305.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$408 ARS 627.1K

148.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$696 ARS 1.1M

-5.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-79.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

San Juan

$198 22.2% 69.2% $444

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

San Juan

$190 21.3% 36.1% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

San Juan

$169 19% 20.1% $42

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

San Juan

$171 19.2% 0.9% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

San Juan

$109 12.3% 35.3% $60

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

San Juan

$11 * 1.2% 88.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

San Juan

$44 4.9% 24.3% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $248 in San Juan. 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 6% higher in San Juan, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $40 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $190 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

522,029

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,538 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,712 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin San Juan 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,337 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $40 in San Juan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $891 in San Juan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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