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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,080 per month in Miraflores vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Miraflores vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,307 per month in Miraflores vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Miraflores costs about 6% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Miraflores and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Miraflores 20% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 PEN 14.02

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-30.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 PEN 115

$33.33 COP 116.3K

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 PEN 16.78

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-31.67%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.62

$1.63 COP 5,687

55.83%

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

$0.93 PEN 3.15

$1.09 COP 3,821

-14.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 PEN 2.04

$0.73 COP 2,548

-17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 PEN 7.72

$1.74 COP 6,065

30.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 PEN 13.10

$3.23 COP 11.3K

19.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 PEN 4.38

$1.05 COP 3,662

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 PEN 3.81

$1.29 COP 4,515

-13.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 PEN 4.45

$1.32 COP 4,617

-0.76%

Eggs

$2.91 PEN 9.90

$2.27 COP 7,927

28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 PEN 27.41

$4.35 COP 15.2K

85.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 PEN 19.12

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 PEN 30.49

$8.61 COP 30.0K

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.87

$2.25 COP 7,844

-10.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.64

$1.07 COP 3,733

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.75

$1.52 COP 5,322

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.70

$1.42 COP 4,964

-23.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.48

$1.17 COP 4,084

-12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$1.17 COP 4,077

-25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 PEN 2.73

$0.89 COP 3,096

-10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 PEN 1.96

$0.90 COP 3,146

-35.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 PEN 18.46

$2.25 COP 7,837

141.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 PEN 30.22

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PEN 5.84

$1.14 COP 3,977

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 PEN 9.59

$2.38 COP 8,301

18.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.90

$0.84 COP 2,916

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 PEN 11.52

$1.41 COP 4,912

140.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.52

$1.90 COP 6,634

16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.07

$7.75 COP 27.0K

6.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.23

$1.01 COP 3,509

22.77%

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

$19.5K PEN 66.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

10.68%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-6.27%

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

$55.0 PEN 187

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-34.31%

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

$8.52 PEN 28.96

$9.45 COP 33.0K

-9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.49 PEN 79.9

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.89 PEN 115

$25.31 COP 88.3K

33.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 PEN 23.10

$4.10 COP 14.3K

65.85%

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

$215 PEN 731

$312 COP 1.1M

-31.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,021 PEN 27.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

33.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 PEN 171

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-13.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.50 PEN 124

$32.56 COP 113.6K

12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 PEN 313

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-7.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 PEN 289

$109 COP 378.8K

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 PEN 2,223

$482 COP 1.7M

35.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 PEN 1,706

$379 COP 1.3M

32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 PEN 5,460

$837 COP 2.9M

91.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 PEN 8,656

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-10.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Miraflores versus $482 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 $34.00 in Miraflores versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 6%, 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 $1,621 per month in Miraflores and $1,525 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 $34.00 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 2% 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 $1,017, than in Miraflores at $1,080. 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.