Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Soledad

For one person, living is cheaper in Soledad: $1,307 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Soledad
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Soledad Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Soledad

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Soledad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Soledad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,307 in Soledad, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Soledad $1,307

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,057 in Soledad, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Soledad $2,057

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,806 in Soledad, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Soledad $2,806

Medellin costs about 24% more than Soledad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Soledad is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$5.83 COP 18.6K

36.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$42.55 COP 135.3K

8.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$10.03 COP 31.9K

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$2.56 COP 8,136

21.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$2.55 COP 8,119

-28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,373

$2.25 COP 7,155

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$3.33 COP 10.6K

-8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$5.15 COP 16.4K

6.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.94 COP 6,155

-25.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$2.77 COP 8,795

-14.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$1.43 COP 4,543

17.48%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$4.98 COP 15.8K

-42.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$7.85 COP 25.0K

29.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$9.74 COP 31.0K

-2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$13.34 COP 42.4K

5.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.46 COP 11.0K

17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.65 COP 5,235

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$2.00 COP 6,361

8.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.68 COP 5,341

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$1.25 COP 3,960

54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.36 COP 4,330

20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$1.08 COP 3,442

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$1.19 COP 3,799

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$3.55 COP 11.3K

12.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$14.35 COP 45.6K

-6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$1.41 COP 4,477

20.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,548

$2.20 COP 7,011

7.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$1.26 COP 4,008

-3.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,192

$1.58 COP 5,017

-16.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$3.65 COP 11.6K

-41.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$9.19 COP 29.2K

-7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.33 COP 4,240

-2.26%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$23.1K COP 73.5M

21.12%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$34.0K COP 108.0M

4.25%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$79.3 COP 252.3K

116.96%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$11.95 COP 38.0K

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$25.61 COP 81.5K

12.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$32.77 COP 104.2K

38.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$8.05 COP 25.6K

-21.99%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$627 COP 2.0M

22.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$5,760 COP 18.3M

56.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$92.9 COP 295.3K

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$48.49 COP 154.2K

17.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$116 COP 370.5K

17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$109 COP 347.8K

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$629 COP 2.0M

67.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$504 COP 1.6M

22.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$876 COP 2.8M

116.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$973 COP 3.1M

5.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,768 COP 5.6M

129.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,584 COP 5.0M

5.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-27.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Soledad: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Soledad

$504 38.6% 18.2% $112

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Soledad

$294 22.5% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Soledad

$117 8.9% 45.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Soledad

$165 12.6% 2.9% $4.9

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Soledad

$154 11.8% 8.8% $15

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Soledad

$25 * 1.9% 73.4% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Soledad

$49 3.7% 15.5% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $629 in Soledad. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Soledad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $294 – making Soledad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Soledad

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

582,156

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Medellin Soledad 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Soledad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Soledad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,960 in Soledad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Soledad, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $43.00 in Soledad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% 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 Soledad, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Soledad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Soledad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Soledad. 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.