Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Villavicencio

For one person, living is cheaper in Villavicencio: $1,322 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Villavicencio
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,322
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Villavicencio

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Villavicencio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,322 in Villavicencio, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Villavicencio $1,322

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,988 in Villavicencio, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Villavicencio $1,988

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,655 in Villavicencio, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Villavicencio $2,655

Medellin costs about 22% more than Villavicencio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Villavicencio is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$7.60 COP 24.1K
4.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$42.13 COP 133.6K
9.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$10.16 COP 32.2K
-6.50%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$2.58 COP 8,167
20.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.38 COP 4,371
32.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$0.85 COP 2,709
62.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$2.08 COP 6,592
46.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$3.96 COP 12.5K
38.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.69 COP 5,351
-14.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$2.52 COP 7,993
-6.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.69 COP 5,355
-0.59%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$3.35 COP 10.6K
-14.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$7.85 COP 24.9K
29.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$7.55 COP 23.9K
26.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$9.83 COP 31.2K
42.83%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$3.58 COP 11.3K
13.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.83 COP 5,807
-18.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.91 COP 6,048
13.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$1.80 COP 5,715
28.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.49 COP 4,729
29.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.38 COP 4,372
18.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.29 COP 4,100
-12.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$1.20 COP 3,794
4.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$4.31 COP 13.7K
-7.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$12.48 COP 39.6K
6.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.44 COP 4,563
18.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$2.79 COP 8,849
-15.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$1.14 COP 3,619
6.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$2.06 COP 6,537
-35.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$2.32 COP 7,351
-7.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$9.22 COP 29.2K
-8.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.32 COP 4,198
-1.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$23.6K COP 74.8M
18.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$36.1K COP 114.4M
-1.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$122 COP 386.9K
41.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$16.15 COP 51.2K
-17.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$30.25 COP 95.9K
-5.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$34.45 COP 109.2K
31.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$7.71 COP 24.4K
-18.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$503 COP 1.6M
53.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$7,429 COP 23.6M
21.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$85.5 COP 270.9K
1.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$48.53 COP 153.9K
17.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$143 COP 454.0K
-4.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$106 COP 334.5K
-7.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$666 COP 2.1M
58.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$501 COP 1.6M
23.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$872 COP 2.8M
116.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$840 COP 2.7M
21.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,129 COP 6.8M
90.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$1,771 COP 5.6M
-5.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Villavicencio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
12.81
-14.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Villavicencio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Villavicencio
$501 18.7% $115
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Villavicencio
$263 10.7% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Villavicencio
$168 21.4% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Villavicencio
$172 1.2% $2.1
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Villavicencio
$149 11.3% $19
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Villavicencio
$18 * 80.5% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Villavicencio
$50 13.7% $7.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $666 in Villavicencio. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $42.00 in Villavicencio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $263 – making Villavicencio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇴 Villavicencio
🕒 Local time
23:20 11:20 PM
23:20 11:20 PM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
407,977
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Villavicencio 320 km
From you
  • Medellin
  • Villavicencio

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Villavicencio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Villavicencio cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,983 in Villavicencio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Villavicencio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Villavicencio?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $42.00 in Villavicencio. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Villavicencio?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Villavicencio?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Villavicencio, where all-in costs run around $1,322, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Villavicencio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Villavicencio more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Villavicencio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Villavicencio. 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.

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