Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Terre Rouge Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Terre Rouge

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,041 in Terre Rouge, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,713 in Terre Rouge, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,386 in Terre Rouge, rent included.

Medellin costs about 58% more than Terre Rouge, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Terre Rouge is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.73 MUR 268

40.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$37.99 MUR 1,778

27.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.30 MUR 342

29.04%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.73 MUR 128

7.69%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.18 MUR 55.2

57.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.63 MUR 29.38

131.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.58 MUR 121

24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.91 MUR 183

46.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.42 MUR 66.7

1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.77 MUR 36.19

211.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.14 MUR 53.5

49.12%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.31 MUR 108

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.36 MUR 251

87.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.47 MUR 303

54.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.25 MUR 527

26.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.17 MUR 101

83.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.42 MUR 113

-34.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.44 MUR 67.4

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.91 MUR 136

-20.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.93 MUR 43.72

115.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.00 MUR 46.98

51.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.74 MUR 34.70

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.89 MUR 41.80

43.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.32 MUR 296

-39.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.59 MUR 402

63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.70 MUR 79.5

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.30 MUR 107

19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.22 MUR 197

-68.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.20 MUR 150

-32.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$21.08 MUR 987

-60.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.32 MUR 61.9

3.03%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$32.6K MUR 1.5M

-15.76%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

17.31%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$45.98 MUR 2,152

266.94%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.82 MUR 506

25.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$29.17 MUR 1,365

-2.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$34.55 MUR 1,617

32.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.29 MUR 294

5.72%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$126 MUR 5,909

536.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,680 MUR 359.4K

19.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$68.7 MUR 3,213

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$70.2 MUR 3,285

-15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$113 MUR 5,266

23.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$79.2 MUR 3,706

28.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$588 MUR 27.5K

82.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$402 MUR 18.8K

62.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,134 MUR 53.1K

69.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$848 MUR 39.7K

23.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.34

72.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Terre Rouge: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $588 in Terre Rouge. 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 $38.00 in Terre Rouge. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $212 – making Terre Rouge 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 Terre Rouge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 58%, 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 $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,561 in Terre Rouge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Terre Rouge, 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 $38.00 in Terre Rouge. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 Terre Rouge, where all-in costs run around $1,041, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Terre Rouge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Terre Rouge – 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 Terre Rouge. 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.