Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tanay Rizal Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tanay Rizal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $716 in Tanay Rizal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,082 in Tanay Rizal, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,449 in Tanay Rizal, rent included.

Medellin costs about 135% more than Tanay Rizal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Tanay Rizal is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.68 ₱231

117.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$16.53 ₱1,039

189.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$2.77 ₱174

257.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.13 ₱134

46.95%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.62 ₱38.78

208.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.34 ₱21.09

344.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.08 ₱67.8

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.82 ₱114

215.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.66 ₱104

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.15 ₱72.2

116.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$0.85 ₱53.4

108.24%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.72 ₱108

72.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$4.77 ₱300

111.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.71 ₱296

114.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.24 ₱392

129.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.55 ₱160

62.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.61 ₱101

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.46 ₱154

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.31 ₱82.5

71.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.14 ₱135

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$2.18 ₱137

-29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.85 ₱53.2

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.56 ₱35.40

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.95 ₱185

32.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$7.81 ₱491

79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.04 ₱65.5

67.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.12 ₱133

35.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.23 ₱14.30

430.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$10.37 ₱651

676.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.82 ₱51.3

59.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.26 ₱16.47

742.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$2.19 ₱138

297.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.16 ₱72.7

18.10%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$22.4K ₱1.4M

24.00%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

66.29%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$113 ₱7,091

57.08%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$17.09 ₱1,074

-18.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$24.87 ₱1,563

19.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$30.49 ₱1,915

47.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$4.11 ₱258

316.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.30 ₱333

25.47%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$152 ₱9,558

434.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$7,424 ₱466.4K

23.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$32.30 ₱2,030

177.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$20.04 ₱1,259

194.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$71.7 ₱4,502

92.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$58.6 ₱3,684

74.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$298 ₱18.7K

255.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$170 ₱10.7K

288.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$532 ₱33.4K

254.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$401 ₱25.2K

156.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,844 ₱178.7K

47.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,041 ₱65.4K

60.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tanay Rizal: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $298 in Tanay Rizal. 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 $17.00 in Tanay Rizal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $180 – making Tanay Rizal 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 Tanay Rizal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 135%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,073 in Tanay Rizal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanay Rizal, 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 $17.00 in Tanay Rizal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $716 in Tanay Rizal. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tanay Rizal, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Tanay Rizal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tanay Rizal – 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 Tanay Rizal. 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.