Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surin Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $923 in Surin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,496 in Surin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,069 in Surin, rent included.

Medellin costs about 86% more than Surin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Surin is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$3.07 ฿101

161.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$23.55 ฿774

104.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.76 ฿255

25.90%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.12 ฿69.8

37.26%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.70 ฿22.87

177.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.32 ฿10.64

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.10 ฿68.9

47.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.01 ฿99.0

90.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.88 ฿61.9

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.44 ฿47.35

65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.26 ฿41.32

34.92%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.20 ฿72.4

30.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$16.38 ฿538

-39.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$2.85 ฿93.6

278.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$10.98 ฿361

34.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.21 ฿106

27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.12 ฿36.86

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.29 ฿75.3

-6.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.69 ฿55.6

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.50 ฿49.20

36.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.18 ฿38.65

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.11 ฿36.39

7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.54 ฿17.65

114.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.40 ฿145

-11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$15.48 ฿509

-6.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.70 ฿55.7

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.86 ฿94.0

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.90 ฿29.74

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.24 ฿40.63

3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.12 ฿36.80

86.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$3.99 ฿131

116.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.45 ฿47.60

-10.34%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$24.7K ฿811.5K

12.02%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$27.4K ฿901.5K

29.47%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$83.7 ฿2,750

110.46%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$12.57 ฿413

6.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$19.77 ฿650

51.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$47.45 ฿1,560

-5.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$14.17 ฿466

20.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.79 ฿223

-8.69%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$561 ฿18.4K

41.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$11.3K ฿370.9K

-20.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$52.4 ฿1,722

63.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$30.52 ฿1,003

91.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$76.9 ฿2,526

77.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$77.0 ฿2,532

33.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$465 ฿15.3K

127.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$291 ฿9,564

133.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,263 ฿41.5K

59.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$702 ฿23.1K

66.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,961 ฿64.5K

109.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,634 ฿53.7K

4.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Surin: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $465 in Surin. 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 $24.00 in Surin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $247 – making Surin 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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 86%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,384 in Surin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surin, 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 $24.00 in Surin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surin, where all-in costs run around $923, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Surin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surin – 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 Surin. 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.