Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tongi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tongi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $313 in Tongi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $520 in Tongi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $727 in Tongi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 230% more than Tongi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Tongi are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Tongi 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.67 ৳205

254.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$9.72 ৳1,194

236.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.98 ৳611

44.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 ৳495

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ৳590

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.49 ৳182

14.09%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.35 ৳42.48

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.18 ৳21.60

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.70 ৳85.9

51.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.60 ৳73.2

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.62 ৳75.7

124.19%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.17 ৳143

93.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.86 ৳842

-36.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.54 ৳312

129.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$5.47 ৳672

61.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.23 ৳274

0.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.00 ৳123

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.10 ৳258

-27.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.61 ৳74.9

124.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.28 ৳34.54

303.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.38 ৳46.24

194.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.33 ৳40.00

157.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.26 ৳31.57

250.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.53 ৳1,047

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ৳280

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 ৳602

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.82 ৳346

-17.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.22 ৳27.01

259.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$10.17 ৳1,248

304.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.84 ৳104

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.40 ৳48.90

377.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$1.99 ৳245

303.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.01 ৳124

-6.93%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$28.3K ৳3.5M

-36.71%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.6K ৳3.4M

-2.87%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$30.02 ৳3,685

179.68%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$4.61 ৳566

108.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$9.23 ৳1,133

161.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$13.70 ৳1,682

88.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$11.88 ৳1,458

60.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.17 ৳512

-6.00%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$27.20 ৳3,339

1026.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$928 ৳113.9K

537.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$15.95 ৳1,958

263.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$17.82 ৳2,188

78.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$33.28 ৳4,085

200.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$36.46 ৳4,476

193.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$68.5 ৳8,414

610.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$41.28 ৳5,067

791.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$166 ৳20.4K

396.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$97.6 ৳12.0K

633.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$563 ৳69.1K

419.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$342 ৳42.0K

310.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.29

30.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tongi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $68.5 in Tongi. 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 $10.00 in Tongi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $104 – making Tongi 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 Tongi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 230%, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $470 in Tongi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tongi, 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 $10.00 in Tongi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $313 in Tongi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tongi, where all-in costs run around $313, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Tongi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tongi – 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 Tongi. 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.