Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ushuaia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ushuaia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $949 in Ushuaia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,565 in Ushuaia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,182 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Medellin costs about 81% more than Ushuaia, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Ushuaia is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$10.41 ARS 15.7K

-22.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$33.57 ARS 50.6K

43.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$8.78 ARS 13.2K

11.28%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.79 ARS 4,204

4.30%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.69 ARS 2,550

14.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$1.50 ARS 2,261

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.17 ARS 3,275

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.04 ARS 4,580

88.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.30 ARS 1,966

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.63 ARS 2,461

46.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.03 ARS 3,064

-16.26%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.25 ARS 3,387

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$10.27 ARS 15.5K

-3.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.36 ARS 9,592

69.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.25 ARS 13.9K

59.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.04 ARS 3,073

100.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.12 ARS 3,201

-25.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.26 ARS 1,893

69.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.61 ARS 3,941

-15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.15 ARS 1,732

78.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.20 ARS 1,803

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.25 ARS 1,892

-4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.48 ARS 2,238

-21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.17 ARS 4,775

23.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$4.97 ARS 7,491

190.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$2.09 ARS 3,152

-24.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$3.14 ARS 4,740

-9.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.78 ARS 1,172

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.53 ARS 2,310

-16.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.85 ARS 1,275

145.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$5.84 ARS 8,804

47.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.11 ARS 1,677

17.12%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$27.0K ARS 40.8M

2.30%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

18.03%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$67.2 ARS 101.4K

161.85%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$17.39 ARS 26.2K

-23.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$22.81 ARS 34.4K

31.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$26.14 ARS 39.4K

71.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$13.70 ARS 20.7K

24.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.10 ARS 9,199

1.64%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$221 ARS 333.7K

258.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$2,682 ARS 4.0M

236.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$73.1 ARS 110.2K

17.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$70.9 ARS 107.0K

-17.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$114 ARS 171.6K

19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$110 ARS 166.5K

-6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$342 ARS 515.6K

209.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$241 ARS 363.3K

182.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$681 ARS 1.0M

195.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$530 ARS 799.5K

120.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,912 ARS 2.9M

115.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,570 ARS 2.4M

8.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

58.5

-81.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $342 in Ushuaia. 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 Ushuaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $233 – making Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 81%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,423 in Ushuaia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ushuaia, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Ushuaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ushuaia – 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 Ushuaia. 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.