Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neiva and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Neiva: $1,241 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Neiva
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Neiva Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Neiva

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,241

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,241 per month in Neiva vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Neiva $1,241
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,034 per month in Neiva vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Neiva $2,034
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,826 per month in Neiva vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Neiva $2,826
Medellin $3,190

Neiva is about 23% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Neiva sits 8% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 COP 24.5K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 COP 132.5K

$46.13 COP 146.7K

-9.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 COP 32.6K

$9.50 COP 30.2K

8.00%

Cappuccino

$2.61 COP 8,307

$3.11 COP 9,897

-16.08%

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

$1.34 COP 4,258

$1.83 COP 5,818

-26.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,892

$1.38 COP 4,373

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,553

$3.05 COP 9,702

-32.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 COP 12.6K

$5.50 COP 17.5K

-28.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 COP 5,147

$1.45 COP 4,614

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,778

$2.36 COP 7,519

3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,152

$1.68 COP 5,345

-3.57%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.3K

$2.86 COP 9,106

23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 COP 26.0K

$10.19 COP 32.4K

-19.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 COP 23.9K

$9.53 COP 30.3K

-21.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 COP 31.5K

$14.04 COP 44.7K

-29.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 COP 10.8K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 COP 5,895

$1.50 COP 4,757

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,167

$2.17 COP 6,913

-10.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,633

$2.31 COP 7,333

-23.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,529

$1.93 COP 6,132

-26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,519

$1.64 COP 5,212

-13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 COP 4,244

$1.13 COP 3,582

17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,770

$1.25 COP 3,966

-4.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 COP 13.7K

$3.99 COP 12.7K

7.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 COP 40.1K

$13.35 COP 42.5K

-5.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 COP 4,589

$1.70 COP 5,400

-15.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 COP 9,155

$2.37 COP 7,548

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 COP 3,335

$1.21 COP 3,839

-13.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 COP 7,606

$1.32 COP 4,192

81.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 COP 7,320

$2.14 COP 6,795

7.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.66 COP 30.7K

$8.47 COP 26.9K

14.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.30 COP 4,127

3.85%

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

$23.2K COP 73.9M

$28.0K COP 89.0M

-17.00%

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

$34.8K COP 110.6M

$35.4K COP 112.6M

-1.81%

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

$125 COP 398.6K

$172 COP 547.3K

-27.17%

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

$16.32 COP 51.9K

$13.37 COP 42.5K

22.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 COP 94.8K

$28.73 COP 91.4K

3.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.69 COP 123.0K

$45.24 COP 143.9K

-14.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 COP 24.6K

$6.28 COP 20.0K

22.93%

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

$504 COP 1.6M

$770 COP 2.4M

-34.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,398 COP 23.5M

$9,011 COP 28.7M

-17.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 COP 262.5K

$86.4 COP 274.8K

-4.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 COP 152.8K

$57.1 COP 181.7K

-15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 COP 457.6K

$137 COP 434.3K

5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 335.0K

$97.9 COP 311.4K

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 COP 1.8M

$1,055 COP 3.4M

-47.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 COP 1.3M

$616 COP 2.0M

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 COP 3.5M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 COP 3.2M

$1,023 COP 3.3M

-2.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,854 COP 5.9M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-54.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,770 COP 5.6M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

5.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.69%

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

Last update for Neiva: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Neiva

$413 33.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 49.2% $203

Groceries & Markets

Neiva

$263 21.2%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 12.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neiva

$171 13.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 24.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Neiva

$171 13.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 0.5% $0.8

Eating Out

Neiva

$151 12.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 11.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Neiva

$54 4.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 6.8% $3.7

Getting Around

Neiva

$18 * 1.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 416% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Neiva 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Neiva versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $295 – making Neiva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Neiva

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Neiva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

357,392

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Neiva Medellin 370 km

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Neiva
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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

Neiva vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,862 per month in Neiva 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 Neiva, 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 $42.00 in Neiva and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Neiva, where all-in costs run around $1,241, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Neiva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Neiva. 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.