Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tembisa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tembisa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $1,021 in Tembisa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,579 in Tembisa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $2,137 in Tembisa, rent included.

Medellin and Tembisa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$8.68 R 140

-31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$32.97 R 533

1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.85 R 78.5

49.07%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.09 R 33.77

-22.01%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.03 R 16.64

5.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.77 R 12.50

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.20 R 35.52

-20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.56 R 41.36

26.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.12 R 18.08

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.06 R 17.11

21.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.57 R 25.41

-15.92%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.39 R 38.72

-5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.86 R 127

-44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.52 R 73.1

30.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.53 R 105

31.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.66 R 26.83

35.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.48 R 23.98

-27.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.48 R 23.93

2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.62 R 26.26

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.32 R 21.38

-11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.24 R 20.04

-5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.09 R 17.55

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.93 R 14.97

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.72 R 43.97

-17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.10 R 82.4

116.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.39 R 22.49

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.65 R 26.66

44.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.63 R 26.40

-48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.10 R 17.76

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.88 R 14.15

115.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$3.93 R 63.6

97.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.23 R 19.90

-17.89%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.7K R 350.2K

-18.84%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.8K R 384.9K

11.28%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$117 R 1,885

-28.21%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$34.60 R 559

-72.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$41.91 R 678

-42.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$30.76 R 497

-17.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.80 R 110

-39.71%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$196 R 3,175

58.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,308 R 69.6K

39.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$51.1 R 825

13.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$32.45 R 525

0.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$87.6 R 1,416

13.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$79.9 R 1,291

35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$357 R 5,771

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$329 R 5,316

15.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$685 R 11.1K

22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$688 R 11.1K

5.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$968 R 15.6K

193.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$670 R 10.8K

82.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$565 R 9,128

-4.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.51

16.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $357 in Tembisa. 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 4% higher in Tembisa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Tembisa. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $177 in Tembisa – so Tembisa 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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,532 in Tembisa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 in Tembisa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $312 per month in Medellin and $196 in Tembisa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Tembisa at $1,021. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tembisa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tembisa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.