Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Rafael Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Rafael

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,273 in San Rafael, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,106 in San Rafael, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,939 in San Rafael, rent included.

Medellin costs about 29% more than San Rafael, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while San Rafael is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.83 ARS 16.3K

-25.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$50.7 ARS 76.4K

-4.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$14.33 ARS 21.6K

-34.26%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$4.39 ARS 6,629

-33.03%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$2.36 ARS 3,555

-21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$1.89 ARS 2,850

-22.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$3.94 ARS 5,949

-18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.52 ARS 6,820

26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.38 ARS 2,080

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$2.31 ARS 3,484

3.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$2.68 ARS 4,037

-36.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$3.23 ARS 4,877

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$14.41 ARS 21.7K

-30.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.35 ARS 9,577

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.84 ARS 16.3K

31.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.31 ARS 3,486

72.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$2.24 ARS 3,378

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.35 ARS 2,037

59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$3.29 ARS 4,958

-30.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.96 ARS 2,963

2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.50 ARS 2,268

0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$2.00 ARS 3,020

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$2.51 ARS 3,790

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.77 ARS 4,181

38.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.02 ARS 7,575

179.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.77 ARS 2,664

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$3.04 ARS 4,589

-9.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$1.03 ARS 1,548

21.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$2.03 ARS 3,057

-35.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$1.01 ARS 1,526

114.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.95 ARS 7,466

67.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.25 ARS 1,888

8.80%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$27.4K ARS 41.3M

0.42%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

10.26%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$133 ARS 200.3K

27.04%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.38 ARS 26.2K

-21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$23.55 ARS 35.5K

20.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$29.86 ARS 45.0K

53.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.01 ARS 10.6K

-5.14%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$174 ARS 262.2K

362.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,135 ARS 6.2M

122.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$115 ARS 173.6K

-24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$127 ARS 191.6K

-53.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$140 ARS 211.8K

-1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$125 ARS 188.4K

-18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$478 ARS 721.4K

123.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$313 ARS 472.6K

108.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$974 ARS 1.5M

97.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$766 ARS 1.2M

36.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,387 ARS 3.6M

72.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-81.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $478 in San Rafael. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $51.0 in San Rafael. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $287 in San Rafael – so San Rafael wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,910 in San Rafael. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $51.0 in San Rafael. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Medellin at $1,641. In San Rafael it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Rafael – 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 San Rafael. 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.