Cost of Living Comparison Between Miraflores and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Miraflores and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Miraflores vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,177 per month in Miraflores vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,294 per month in Miraflores vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Miraflores costs about 3% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Miraflores and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Miraflores 21% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 PEN 14.31

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-31.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.68 PEN 115

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 PEN 18.03

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-28.61%

Cappuccino

$2.65 PEN 9.32

$1.70 COP 6,186

55.88%

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

$0.97 PEN 3.40

$1.10 COP 3,996

-11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 PEN 2.26

$0.72 COP 2,625

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 PEN 7.56

$1.67 COP 6,067

28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PEN 14.00

$3.10 COP 11.3K

28.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 PEN 4.48

$1.06 COP 3,837

20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 PEN 3.82

$1.25 COP 4,531

-12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.77

$1.39 COP 5,060

-2.16%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.34

$2.26 COP 8,229

30.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 27.81

$4.33 COP 15.8K

82.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 PEN 20.13

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 PEN 30.36

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-2.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 PEN 6.90

$2.24 COP 8,159

-12.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.82

$1.08 COP 3,911

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.86

$1.53 COP 5,563

-28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.99

$1.37 COP 4,987

-16.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.48

$1.13 COP 4,109

-12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.98

$1.12 COP 4,067

-24.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 PEN 2.85

$0.85 COP 3,080

-4.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 PEN 2.00

$0.91 COP 3,305

-37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.44 PEN 19.10

$2.33 COP 8,477

133.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.83 PEN 30.99

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-20.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PEN 5.94

$1.19 COP 4,342

42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 PEN 9.64

$2.37 COP 8,617

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.95

$0.79 COP 2,859

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 PEN 11.79

$1.44 COP 5,223

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 PEN 7.41

$1.91 COP 6,952

10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 PEN 29.48

$8.02 COP 29.2K

4.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 PEN 4.29

$0.94 COP 3,410

29.79%

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

$19.8K PEN 69.4K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

10.38%

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

$24.0K PEN 84.4K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-10.26%

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

$55.8 PEN 196

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-33.49%

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

$8.20 PEN 28.79

$9.60 COP 34.9K

-14.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.14 PEN 84.7

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-0.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.80 PEN 115

$25.88 COP 94.1K

26.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 PEN 24.87

$3.92 COP 14.2K

80.61%

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

$216 PEN 759

$306 COP 1.1M

-29.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,947 PEN 27.9K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

34.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 PEN 174

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-14.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.70 PEN 125

$31.82 COP 115.7K

12.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 313

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 PEN 294

$107 COP 389.7K

-21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 PEN 2,313

$487 COP 1.8M

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 PEN 1,739

$368 COP 1.3M

34.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 PEN 5,563

$826 COP 3.0M

91.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,483 PEN 8,714

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-15.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

13.43

-24.72%

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

Last update for Miraflores: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Miraflores versus $487 in Medellin. 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 $33.00 in Miraflores versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Miraflores vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin 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

Miraflores vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Miraflores is pricier by about 3%, 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 $1,589 per month in Miraflores and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 Miraflores and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Miraflores, 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 Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Miraflores at $1,060. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Miraflores it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Miraflores makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.