Comparación del coste de vida entre Medellin y Vilcabamba Comparación del coste de vida entre Medellin y Vilcabamba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $933 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,439 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,945 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Medellin costs about 11% more than Vilcabamba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Vilcabamba 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.30 $3.30

79.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$35.09 $35.09

-6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.56 $7.56

-4.76%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.16 $2.16

-21.30%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.02 $1.02

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.93 $0.93

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.98 $1.98

-15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.43 $3.43

-9.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.97 $0.97

9.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.95 $1.95

-35.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.35 $1.35

2.96%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.17 $2.17

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.48 $7.48

-42.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.88 $5.88

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.21 $7.21

22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.53 $2.53

-11.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.23 $1.23

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.80 $1.80

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.05 $1.05

30.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.98 $0.98

15.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.97 $0.97

15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.71 $0.71

19.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.02 $1.02

-10.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$6.22 $6.22

-62.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$10.09 $10.09

10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.63 $1.63

-26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.52 $2.52

-5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.37 $0.37

113.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$24.33 $24.33

69.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.54 $1.54

-6.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.92 $0.92

107.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$10.19 $10.19

-21.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.64 $0.64

46.87%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.1K $20.1K

-11.02%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.8K $27.8K

-3.60%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$57.8 $57.8

45.28%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.24 $13.24

-27.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$33.92 $33.92

-28.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$29.83 $29.83

-13.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$14.71 $14.71

29.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.01 $7.01

-44.08%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$253 $253

20.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,676 $5,676

4.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$78.6 $78.6

-26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$20.16 $20.16

57.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$96.2 $96.2

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$75.0 $75.0

42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$339 $339

43.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$326 $326

13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$632 $632

30.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$585 $585

22.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,220 $1,220

139.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$838 $838

67.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$437 $437

24.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.6

26.70%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Vilcabamba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $339 in Vilcabamba. 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 25% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Vilcabamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $203 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Medellin vs Vilcabamba: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,399 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vilcabamba, 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 $35.00 in Vilcabamba. 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 $933 in Vilcabamba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vilcabamba, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Vilcabamba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vilcabamba – 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 Vilcabamba. 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.