Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Villa María Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Villa María

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,203 in Villa María, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,018 in Villa María, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,832 in Villa María, rent included.

Medellin costs about 43% more than Villa María, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Villa María is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

-52.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$53.8 ARS 81.2K

-10.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$12.40 ARS 18.7K

-21.21%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.21 ARS 6,352

-30.88%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$2.38 ARS 3,590

-18.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.78 ARS 2,679

-14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.56 ARS 5,370

-13.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.24 ARS 4,889

77.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.21 ARS 1,830

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.88 ARS 2,832

27.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.52 ARS 2,298

11.84%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.40 ARS 3,625

19.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.65 ARS 13.0K

14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$7.16 ARS 10.8K

50.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$13.16 ARS 19.8K

11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.33 ARS 3,515

75.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.95 ARS 2,937

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.37 ARS 2,060

55.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.84 ARS 2,781

20.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.08 ARS 1,634

89.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.14 ARS 1,717

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.68 ARS 2,541

-29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.77 ARS 2,663

-34.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.55 ARS 5,349

9.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.13 ARS 7,738

181.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.81 ARS 2,736

-12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$3.28 ARS 4,952

-13.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.96 ARS 1,442

21.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.44 ARS 2,179

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.97 ARS 1,464

115.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$8.39 ARS 12.7K

2.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.35 ARS 2,036

-3.70%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$27.0K ARS 40.7M

2.55%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$32.3K ARS 48.8M

9.83%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$79.5 ARS 120.0K

121.36%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$17.23 ARS 26.0K

-22.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$24.48 ARS 36.9K

22.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$27.75 ARS 41.9K

61.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$8.94 ARS 13.5K

-30.65%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$326 ARS 492.4K

143.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$3,984 ARS 6.0M

126.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$98.7 ARS 148.8K

-13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$83.7 ARS 126.3K

-30.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$132 ARS 198.4K

3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$119 ARS 179.9K

-13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$432 ARS 652.4K

145.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$335 ARS 505.2K

102.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$929 ARS 1.4M

116.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$832 ARS 1.3M

40.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,629 ARS 4.0M

56.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.56

-80.66%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Villa María: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $432 in Villa María. 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 $54.0 in Villa María. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Medellin vs $245 in Villa María – so Villa María 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 Villa María: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. 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 $1,805 in Villa María. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Villa María, 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 $54.0 in Villa María. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Villa María, where all-in costs run around $1,203, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Villa María it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Villa María – 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 Villa María. 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.