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 $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $976 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,564 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,151 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Medellin costs about 4% more than Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Santa Rosa are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Santa Rosa 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.71 ARS 15.3K

-44.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$34.35 ARS 49.0K

-4.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.13 ARS 13.0K

-22.34%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.75 ARS 3,928

-37.82%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.72 ARS 2,454

-36.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.55 ARS 2,213

-49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.05 ARS 2,928

-18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.98 ARS 4,250

3.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.25 ARS 1,784

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.64 ARS 2,339

-23.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.93 ARS 2,754

-28.50%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.16 ARS 3,086

1.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.98 ARS 14.2K

-55.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.29 ARS 8,979

-10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$9.13 ARS 13.0K

-2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.02 ARS 2,882

15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.04 ARS 2,915

-48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.27 ARS 1,809

18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.63 ARS 3,752

-47.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.19 ARS 1,695

-3.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.25 ARS 1,778

-7.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.28 ARS 1,821

-30.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.43 ARS 2,035

-41.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.17 ARS 4,516

-28.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$5.23 ARS 7,459

103.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.09 ARS 2,982

-42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.14 ARS 4,481

-21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.82 ARS 1,169

4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.53 ARS 2,185

-3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.91 ARS 1,294

115.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.98 ARS 8,531

29.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.06 ARS 1,506

-10.38%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$27.2K ARS 38.7M

-33.22%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$30.1K ARS 42.9M

-11.95%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$65.9 ARS 93.9K

24.91%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.10 ARS 24.4K

-44.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$22.81 ARS 32.5K

6.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$26.13 ARS 37.3K

-0.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$14.02 ARS 20.0K

35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.31 ARS 9,007

-37.72%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$218 ARS 311.3K

41.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,745 ARS 3.9M

117.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$73.7 ARS 105.2K

-20.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$70.8 ARS 101.0K

-54.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$116 ARS 164.8K

-11.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$112 ARS 160.3K

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$340 ARS 484.6K

40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$241 ARS 344.0K

57.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$689 ARS 983.3K

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$532 ARS 758.9K

36.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,026 ARS 2.9M

37.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $340 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: $188 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 4%, 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 $1,464 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 22% 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 $976, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.