Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Thiva Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Thiva

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $1,250 in Thiva, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $2,012 in Thiva, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $2,775 in Thiva, rent included.

Medellin is about 19% cheaper than Thiva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Thiva are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Thiva 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 21.2K

$13.23 €11.47

-55.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 118.9K

$56.8 €49.22

-41.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.8K

$6.76 €5.86

6.95%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,811

$2.56 €2.22

-36.33%

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

$1.09 COP 3,904

$1.70 €1.47

-35.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,604

$0.54 €0.46

35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,197

$4.50 €3.90

-61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.5K

$2.92 €2.53

10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,742

$1.53 €1.32

-31.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,614

$1.56 €1.36

-17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,718

$2.20 €1.91

-40.00%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 8,101

$4.00 €3.47

-43.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.5K

$13.75 €11.92

-68.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 21.0K

$10.03 €8.69

-41.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.7K

$13.02 €11.28

-33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 8,015

$1.72 €1.49

30.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,814

$1.88 €1.63

-43.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,438

$1.09 €0.94

39.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 5,073

$1.88 €1.63

-24.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,173

$0.99 €0.86

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,166

$1.28 €1.11

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,163

$0.93 €0.81

-4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,215

$0.48 €0.42

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 8,008

$4.80 €4.16

-53.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 39.4K

$6.23 €5.40

77.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,063

$1.67 €1.45

-31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,483

$2.00 €1.73

19.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,979

$1.35 €1.17

-37.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 149.6K

$46.07 €39.93

-8.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 5,019

$3.71 €3.21

-61.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,779

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.6K

$13.80 €11.96

-43.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,586

$2.11 €1.83

-52.13%

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

$17.6K COP 62.7M

$30.9K €26.8K

-43.19%

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

$26.5K COP 94.5M

$29.2K €25.3K

-9.16%

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

$83.7 COP 298.4K

$186 €161

-54.97%

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

$9.45 COP 33.7K

$23.54 €20.40

-59.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 86.0K

$31.64 €27.43

-23.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 90.3K

$49.20 €42.64

-48.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

$26.53 €22.99

-27.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.6K

$8.34 €7.23

-50.84%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$345 €299

-9.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 21.4M

$5,550 €4,810

7.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 207.0K

$53.1 €45.98

9.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 116.1K

$34.41 €29.82

-5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 355.3K

$94.5 €81.9

5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 387.1K

$95.6 €82.9

13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$341 €296

41.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$292 €253

30.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 3.0M

$767 €665

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.6M

$625 €542

15.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.1M

$1,812 €1,571

56.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

$1,463 €1,268

-16.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$1,177 €1,020

-54.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.34

209.45%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Thiva: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $341 in Thiva. 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 118% higher in Thiva, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $57.0 in Thiva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $260 – making Medellin 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 Thiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thiva is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,874 in Thiva. 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 $57.0 in Thiva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $1,250 in Thiva. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Thiva at $1,250. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thiva 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.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thiva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.