Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ube Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ube

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,245 in Ube, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,932 in Ube, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,620 in Ube, rent included.

Medellin costs about 35% more than Ube, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Ube is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$7.11 ¥1,115

12.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$34.40 ¥5,395

39.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$5.47 ¥858

80.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$3.10 ¥487

0.97%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.13 ¥178

69.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.81 ¥127

86.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.11 ¥331

47.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.20 ¥501

79.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.59 ¥250

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.58 ¥248

57.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$4.64 ¥728

-61.85%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.27 ¥355

30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.17 ¥1,596

-0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$6.22 ¥975

62.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$15.72 ¥2,465

-9.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$5.43 ¥851

-23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$2.64 ¥415

-39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$4.14 ¥649

-45.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$4.49 ¥704

-49.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$3.18 ¥499

-35.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$2.69 ¥423

-42.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.37 ¥215

-14.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.82 ¥129

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.09 ¥642

-4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$6.63 ¥1,041

111.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.98 ¥311

-12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.32 ¥364

23.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.64 ¥257

-25.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$55.1 ¥8,636

46.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$3.43 ¥539

-61.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.97 ¥465

-26.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$20.86 ¥3,272

-58.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.18 ¥185

16.10%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$22.9K ¥3.6M

21.51%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

109.50%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$142 ¥22.2K

25.23%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$26.74 ¥4,194

-48.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$34.18 ¥5,362

-13.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$58.9 ¥9,236

-23.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$13.82 ¥2,167

23.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$13.00 ¥2,040

-48.85%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$276 ¥43.4K

194.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-31.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$43.78 ¥6,868

104.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$29.07 ¥4,560

102.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$61.2 ¥9,601

125.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$92.6 ¥14.5K

10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$471 ¥73.9K

125.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$328 ¥51.4K

102.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$859 ¥134.8K

119.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$647 ¥101.5K

58.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,798 ¥438.8K

49.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,801 ¥282.5K

-7.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.81

504.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ube: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $471 in Ube. 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 $34.00 in Ube. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $308 in Ube – so Medellin 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 Ube: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 35%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,867 in Ube. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ube, 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 $34.00 in Ube. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,245 in Ube. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ube, where all-in costs run around $1,245, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Ube it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ube – 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 Ube. 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.