Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendoza: $1,387 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,387

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Mendoza vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Mendoza $1,387
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in Mendoza vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Mendoza $2,185
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,984 per month in Mendoza vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Mendoza $2,984
Medellin $3,190

Mendoza is about 14% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Mendoza and Medellin sit above the global median – Mendoza by 3%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ARS 16.7K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

38.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.80 ARS 75.6K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.36 ARS 21.8K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

51.16%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ARS 6,896

$3.11 COP 9,866

45.98%

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

$2.32 ARS 3,517

$1.83 COP 5,800

26.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ARS 2,949

$1.38 COP 4,360

40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 ARS 6,191

$3.05 COP 9,672

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ARS 6,775

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,102

$1.45 COP 4,600

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ARS 3,358

$2.36 COP 7,496

-6.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ARS 4,034

$1.68 COP 5,328

58.33%

Eggs

$3.19 ARS 4,836

$2.86 COP 9,077

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ARS 22.3K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

44.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ARS 9,447

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-34.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-21.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ARS 3,478

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-43.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ARS 3,386

$1.50 COP 4,742

48.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ARS 2,036

$2.17 COP 6,891

-38.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 ARS 4,974

$2.31 COP 7,310

41.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 3,067

$1.93 COP 6,113

4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,268

$1.64 COP 5,196

-9.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 ARS 3,074

$1.13 COP 3,571

79.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ARS 3,743

$1.25 COP 3,954

97.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ARS 4,275

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 ARS 7,712

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,608

$1.70 COP 5,384

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,583

$2.37 COP 7,525

27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,486

$1.21 COP 3,827

-19.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ARS 29.9K

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-74.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ARS 3,059

$1.32 COP 4,179

53.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ARS 1,495

$2.14 COP 6,774

-53.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 ARS 7,318

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-43.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,897

$1.30 COP 4,114

-3.85%

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

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-1.46%

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

$33.0K ARS 50.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-6.71%

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

$144 ARS 218.4K

$172 COP 545.6K

-16.36%

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

$17.72 ARS 26.9K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

32.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.92 ARS 36.3K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-16.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.32 ARS 49.0K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 ARS 27.4K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

6.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 ARS 10.8K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

13.06%

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

$176 ARS 266.3K

$770 COP 2.4M

-77.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,178 ARS 6.3M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-53.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 ARS 192.2K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

46.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$141 ARS 214.2K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

147.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ARS 217.9K

$137 COP 432.9K

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 ARS 238.0K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

60.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ARS 838.5K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-47.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ARS 531.6K

$616 COP 2.0M

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 ARS 1.5M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-47.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 ARS 1.0M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-33.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 ARS 2.7M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-56.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,141 ARS 1.7M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-32.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$766 ARS 1.2M

$652 COP 2.1M

17.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

439.31%

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mendoza

$350 25.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 75.8% $265

Groceries & Markets

Mendoza

$286 20.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 3% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Mendoza

$256 18.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 33.5% $86

Eating Out

Mendoza

$232 16.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 27.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendoza

$186 13.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 15.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Mendoza

$47 3.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 24.3% $11

Getting Around

Mendoza

$31 2.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 205% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Mendoza versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 17% higher in Mendoza, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mendoza versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $286 in Mendoza vs $295 in Medellin – so Mendoza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

13:27 1:27 PM

2 h behind Mendoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

937,154

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mendoza Medellin 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mendoza
Medellin

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

Mendoza vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Mendoza and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mendoza, 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 $50.0 in Mendoza and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Mendoza and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 16%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mendoza, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Mendoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mendoza – 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 Mendoza. 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.