Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tibas

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,724 in Tibas, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Tibas despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tibas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Tibas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,724 in Tibas, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tibas $1,724

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,646 in Tibas, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tibas $2,646

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,567 in Tibas, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tibas $3,567

Medellin is about 5% cheaper than Tibas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Tibas sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Tibas by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$12.21 ₡5,508

-33.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$34.56 ₡15.6K

36.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$10.92 ₡4,927

-13.00%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.90 ₡1,759

-22.82%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.37 ₡1,071

-24.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.90 ₡859

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.80 ₡1,263

13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.47 ₡2,019

28.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.39 ₡1,078

-36.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.08 ₡1,390

-22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.52 ₡1,138

-29.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.57 ₡1,613

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$10.67 ₡4,817

-4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$10.60 ₡4,783

-6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$14.08 ₡6,354

-0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$4.98 ₡2,245

-20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.57 ₡709

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$4.69 ₡2,116

-53.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$3.85 ₡1,739

-43.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.74 ₡1,688

-47.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$3.62 ₡1,633

-56.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.08 ₡486

6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$3.20 ₡1,443

-61.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$6.07 ₡2,738

-34.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$20.22 ₡9,123

-32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.89 ₡1,302

-42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.72 ₡1,678

-39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.30 ₡585

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.39 ₡1,077

-46.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.61 ₡725

27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$8.63 ₡3,896

-0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.57 ₡710

-14.01%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-1.53%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$41.5K ₡18.7M

-16.43%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$95.9 ₡43.3K

76.90%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$35.33 ₡15.9K

-61.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$59.0 ₡26.6K

-52.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$68.6 ₡31.0K

-36.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.88 ₡3,554

-12.31%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$972 ₡438.6K

-18.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$17.4K ₡7.9M

-47.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$70.8 ₡31.9K

19.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$56.3 ₡25.4K

3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$127 ₡57.2K

6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$131 ₡59.3K

-25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$814 ₡367.4K

48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$641 ₡289.3K

0.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,886 ₡851.1K

7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,240 ₡559.4K

-18.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$983 ₡443.6K

-33.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.62

26.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tibas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tibas

$641 37.2% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tibas

$402 23.3% 35.4% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tibas

$190 11% 10% $21

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tibas

$217 12.6% 28.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tibas

$173 10.1% 2.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tibas

$16 * 0.9% 83.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tibas

$84 4.9% 46.6% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $814 in Tibas. 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 50% higher in Tibas. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Tibas. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $402 in Tibas – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇷 Tibas

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

14:11 2:11 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

64,842

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Tibas 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tibas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tibas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tibas is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,586 in Tibas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tibas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $814 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Tibas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Tibas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,724 in Tibas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,724 in Tibas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tibas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.