Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Van Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Van

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $977 in Van, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,539 in Van, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,101 in Van, rent included.

Medellin costs about 68% more than Van, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Van is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.58 ₺368

6.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$33.97 ₺1,649

42.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.33 ₺356

28.51%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.25 ₺158

-9.54%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.18 ₺57.5

57.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.41 ₺19.84

256.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.64 ₺128

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.70 ₺180

54.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.96 ₺46.49

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.06 ₺51.4

126.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.18 ₺106

-22.02%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.52 ₺74.0

90.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.98 ₺387

26.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.16 ₺202

139.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$22.91 ₺1,112

-38.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.84 ₺89.4

116.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.90 ₺92.1

-16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.02 ₺49.70

110.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.26 ₺61.3

82.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.53 ₺25.94

277.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.38 ₺18.41

297.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.85 ₺41.18

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.58 ₺27.96

120.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.12 ₺103

81.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.82 ₺525

29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.07 ₺101

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.50 ₺122

9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.69 ₺33.46

81.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$30.35 ₺1,474

156.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.22 ₺59.4

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.81 ₺39.19

167.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.70 ₺228

76.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.33 ₺64.4

2.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-36.40%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$39.7K ₺1.9M

-7.87%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$70.9 ₺3,442

138.00%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.37 ₺455

44.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$13.95 ₺678

103.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$54.6 ₺2,653

-16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.77 ₺280

15.25%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$637 ₺30.9K

26.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.0K ₺629.7K

-29.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$50.3 ₺2,441

73.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$35.47 ₺1,722

67.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$75.3 ₺3,654

84.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$70.6 ₺3,428

44.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$464 ₺22.5K

130.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$321 ₺15.6K

103.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$875 ₺42.5K

119.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$619 ₺30.0K

69.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,502 ₺72.9K

174.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,060 ₺51.5K

60.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

41.26

-73.49%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Van: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $464 in Van. 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 Van. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $229 – making Van 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 Van: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 68%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,465 in Van. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $977 in Van. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Van, where all-in costs run around $977, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Van it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Van – 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 Van. 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.