Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Monteria: $1,358 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Monteria
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Monteria Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Monteria

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,358

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monteria 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 Monteria and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,358 per month in Monteria vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Monteria $1,358
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Monteria vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Monteria $2,064
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $2,770 per month in Monteria vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Monteria $2,770
Medellin $3,249

Monteria is about 20% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.66 COP 18.3K

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.00 COP 151.7K

$46.53 COP 150.2K

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 COP 32.5K

$9.47 COP 30.6K

6.44%

Cappuccino

$2.66 COP 8,600

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-15.02%

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

$2.56 COP 8,261

$1.77 COP 5,702

44.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 COP 7,537

$1.42 COP 4,599

64.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 COP 10.8K

$3.15 COP 10.2K

6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 COP 16.5K

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-10.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 COP 5,949

$1.53 COP 4,948

20.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 COP 9,358

$2.29 COP 7,397

26.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,782

$1.94 COP 6,279

-23.71%

Eggs

$4.85 COP 15.7K

$3.07 COP 9,900

57.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 COP 26.2K

$9.99 COP 32.3K

-18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 COP 32.2K

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-4.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 COP 40.3K

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 COP 12.2K

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,672

$1.53 COP 4,934

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,275

$2.10 COP 6,794

-7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,527

$2.29 COP 7,405

-11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,193

$2.11 COP 6,810

-23.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,760

$1.71 COP 5,518

-14.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,637

$1.17 COP 3,778

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,828

$1.58 COP 5,101

-24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 COP 13.3K

$3.91 COP 12.6K

5.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 COP 46.6K

$14.04 COP 45.3K

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,492

$1.76 COP 5,688

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,666

$2.71 COP 8,756

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,461

$1.18 COP 3,809

-9.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 COP 210.4K

$76.3 COP 246.3K

-14.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 5,195

$1.81 COP 5,833

-11.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,737

$2.13 COP 6,874

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 COP 29.7K

$8.13 COP 26.3K

13.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,142

$1.28 COP 4,117

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

$34.9K COP 112.6M

$34.4K COP 111.2M

1.31%

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

$34.9K COP 112.6M

$34.1K COP 110.2M

2.19%

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

$79.7 COP 257.3K

$178 COP 573.8K

-55.16%

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

$13.46 COP 43.5K

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.98 COP 90.3K

$30.74 COP 99.2K

-8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.09 COP 123.0K

$41.94 COP 135.4K

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 COP 26.2K

$7.47 COP 24.1K

8.70%

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

$634 COP 2.0M

$790 COP 2.6M

-19.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,860 COP 18.9M

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-52.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 COP 270.4K

$86.3 COP 278.7K

-3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 COP 168.0K

$59.3 COP 191.3K

-12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 441.9K

$138 COP 446.6K

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 COP 321.2K

$98.8 COP 319.0K

0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 COP 2.3M

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.6M

$667 COP 2.2M

-27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 COP 4.5M

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-29.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 COP 2.5M

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-25.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,193 COP 7.1M

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-46.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 COP 5.8M

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-7.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

37.11%

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

Last update for Monteria: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monteria

$482 35.6%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 38.3% $185

Groceries & Markets

Monteria

$297 21.9%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 3.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Monteria

$167 12.3%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 2.9% $4.8

Eating Out

Monteria

$154 11.3%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 12.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monteria

$121 8.9%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 83.6% $101

Getting Around

Monteria

$82 6%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 14.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Monteria

$54 4%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 4.7% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $725 in Monteria versus $1,341 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 $47 in Monteria versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $307 – making Monteria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Monteria

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Monteria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

454,032

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Monteria vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,037 per month in Monteria and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monteria, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $725 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Monteria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,358 in Monteria and $1,692 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Monteria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.