Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sixth of October City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sixth of October City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $388 in Sixth of October City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $697 in Sixth of October City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,005 in Sixth of October City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 161% more than Sixth of October City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Sixth of October City are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Sixth of October City 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$5.05 E£262

18.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$34.98 E£1,816

-6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.58 E£186

98.04%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$0.93 E£48.48

83.87%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.29 E£14.81

279.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.13 E£6.81

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.17 E£61.0

43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.93 E£152

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.96 E£49.95

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.31 E£16.13

306.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.58 E£30.16

137.93%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.53 E£79.2

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.29 E£171

33.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.18 E£217

34.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$7.45 E£387

19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.21 E£62.9

93.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.62 E£32.15

70.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.31 E£16.33

383.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.27 E£14.10

411.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.35 E£18.36

228.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.20 E£10.25

480.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.17 E£8.92

423.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.18 E£9.19

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.64 E£84.9

39.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.36 E£70.5

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.78 E£92.4

38.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.31 E£16.27

177.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.39 E£20.16

276.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.43 E£22.29

355.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.02 E£52.8

658.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.30 E£15.32

216.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$35.0K E£1.8M

-48.26%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$32.9K E£1.7M

-19.55%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$12.09 E£627

580.31%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$10.17 E£528

-6.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$4.93 E£256

391.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$49.71 E£2,580

-47.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.61 E£135

50.57%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$41.36 E£2,147

648.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,189 E£61.7K

401.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$17.61 E£914

233.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$43.51 E£2,258

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$78.9 E£4,093

30.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$54.1 E£2,806

100.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$59.9 E£3,109

694.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$34.95 E£1,814

983.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$160 E£8,315

423.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$97.8 E£5,075

640.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$772 E£40.1K

261.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$195 E£10.1K

520.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$271 E£14.1K

89.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-32.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sixth of October City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $59.9 in Sixth of October City. 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 89% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Sixth of October City. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $101 in Sixth of October City – so Sixth of October City 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 Sixth of October City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 161%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $583 in Sixth of October City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sixth of October City, 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 $35.00 in Sixth of October City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sixth of October City, where all-in costs run around $388, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Sixth of October City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sixth of October City – 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 Sixth of October City. 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.