Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shiso Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shiso

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,028 in Shiso, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,916 in Shiso, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,804 in Shiso, rent included.

Medellin costs about 67% more than Shiso, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Shiso is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$7.99 ¥1,249

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$66.2 ¥10.3K

-27.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$6.45 ¥1,007

51.47%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.55 ¥554

-18.03%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.86 ¥134

125.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.71 ¥110

114.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.61 ¥408

18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.09 ¥482

85.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.53 ¥239

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.90 ¥454

-17.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$4.90 ¥766

-65.31%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.18 ¥341

31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$10.25 ¥1,601

-3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$6.25 ¥977

72.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$26.41 ¥4,125

-44.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$5.50 ¥858

-25.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.68 ¥419

-41.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$4.08 ¥638

-47.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$5.73 ¥896

-61.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$4.29 ¥671

-52.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.58 ¥403

-41.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.40 ¥218

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.81 ¥127

43.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.06 ¥635

-3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$7.26 ¥1,135

98.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.90 ¥297

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.27 ¥355

24.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.37 ¥213

-14.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$32.74 ¥5,115

137.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.48 ¥544

-63.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.92 ¥456

-28.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$20.83 ¥3,255

-58.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.21 ¥190

7.44%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$23.0K ¥3.6M

20.23%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$17.3K ¥2.7M

104.68%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$146 ¥22.8K

20.67%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$23.62 ¥3,689

-43.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$13.37 ¥2,089

123.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$36.94 ¥5,771

21.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$14.09 ¥2,201

21.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$4.77 ¥745

29.98%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$285 ¥44.5K

178.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-32.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$9.87 ¥1,541

767.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$29.61 ¥4,626

97.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$33.58 ¥5,246

305.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$101 ¥15.8K

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$471 ¥73.5K

125.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$166 ¥25.9K

310.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$857 ¥133.9K

134.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$662 ¥103.4K

76.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$4,279 ¥668.4K

-3.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,109 ¥329.4K

-19.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.78

514.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Shiso: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $471 in Shiso. 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 $66.0 in Shiso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $364 – 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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 67%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,542 in Shiso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiso, 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 $66.0 in Shiso. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $1,028 in Shiso. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiso, where all-in costs run around $1,028, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Shiso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shiso – 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 Shiso. 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.