Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Rosa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Rosa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $962 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,567 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $2,172 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Medellin costs about 7% more than Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Santa Rosa are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Santa Rosa 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$10.47 ARS 15.5K

-41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$34.34 ARS 50.8K

-5.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$9.32 ARS 13.8K

-21.24%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.74 ARS 4,056

-37.23%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.65 ARS 2,442

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.50 ARS 2,212

-48.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.15 ARS 3,180

-21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.05 ARS 4,511

3.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.24 ARS 1,840

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.59 ARS 2,349

-18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.01 ARS 2,972

-30.35%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.26 ARS 3,342

-4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.18 ARS 15.0K

-56.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.22 ARS 9,195

-5.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.39 ARS 13.9K

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.94 ARS 2,864

17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.04 ARS 3,013

-45.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.31 ARS 1,929

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.51 ARS 3,707

-46.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.19 ARS 1,761

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.19 ARS 1,760

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.30 ARS 1,923

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.49 ARS 2,206

-38.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.11 ARS 4,604

-24.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.04 ARS 7,452

145.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.07 ARS 3,053

-42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.03 ARS 4,476

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.79 ARS 1,161

6.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.54 ARS 2,271

-7.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.87 ARS 1,290

120.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.94 ARS 8,775

28.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.07 ARS 1,581

-7.48%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$27.7K ARS 40.9M

-34.86%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$30.8K ARS 45.5M

-13.60%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$65.7 ARS 97.1K

23.07%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$17.41 ARS 25.7K

-42.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$22.91 ARS 33.9K

5.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$25.68 ARS 38.0K

-2.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.57 ARS 20.1K

41.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.08 ARS 8,984

-34.54%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$223 ARS 330.0K

36.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,666 ARS 3.9M

127.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$74.2 ARS 109.7K

-21.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$70.5 ARS 104.1K

-54.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$116 ARS 171.6K

-13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$110 ARS 162.7K

-2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$333 ARS 491.4K

43.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$236 ARS 348.7K

59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$679 ARS 1.0M

24.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$542 ARS 801.7K

34.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,492 ARS 3.7M

29.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,387 ARS 2.1M

-1.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $333 in Santa Rosa. 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 $34.00 in Santa Rosa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $230 – 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 Santa Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 7%, 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 $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,443 in Santa Rosa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rosa, 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 $34.00 in Santa Rosa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rosa, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Santa Rosa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Rosa – 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 Santa Rosa. 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.