Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tansen Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tansen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $438 in Tansen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Tansen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,018 in Tansen, rent included.

Medellin costs about 131% more than Tansen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Tansen are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Tansen 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$1.81 NPR 275

230.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$18.60 NPR 2,830

76.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.53 NPR 993

8.58%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.84 NPR 281

-7.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.50 NPR 76.2

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.19 NPR 28.51

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.64 NPR 402

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.59 NPR 547

-14.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.83 NPR 126

31.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.56 NPR 84.8

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.98 NPR 149

40.82%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.78 NPR 272

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.90 NPR 1,355

-50.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.19 NPR 486

76.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.21 NPR 946

43.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.20 NPR 335

6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.10 NPR 167

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.24 NPR 189

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.69 NPR 105

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.52 NPR 78.5

121.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.67 NPR 102

73.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.53 NPR 81.3

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.27 NPR 41.29

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.99 NPR 455

-23.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.93 NPR 1,206

34.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.33 NPR 355

-48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.26 NPR 496

-24.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.17 NPR 26.35

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.21 NPR 336

-33.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.11 NPR 168

76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.70 NPR 564

109.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.23 NPR 188

-22.76%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$31.5K NPR 4.8M

-42.52%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$41.3K NPR 6.3M

-35.88%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$33.43 NPR 5,088

146.04%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$4.97 NPR 756

91.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$9.72 NPR 1,480

149.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$18.41 NPR 2,802

40.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.18 NPR 485

23.58%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$93.0 NPR 14.2K

232.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,784 NPR 576.0K

57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$24.91 NPR 3,792

135.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$27.84 NPR 4,238

16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$58.3 NPR 8,878

75.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$40.12 NPR 6,106

170.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$105 NPR 16.0K

351.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$64.0 NPR 9,746

491.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$203 NPR 31.0K

312.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$147 NPR 22.4K

391.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.08

11.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tansen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $105 in Tansen. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Tansen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $155 – making Tansen 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 Tansen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 131%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $657 in Tansen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tansen, 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 $19.00 in Tansen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 Tansen, where all-in costs run around $438, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Tansen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tansen – 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 Tansen. 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.