Cost of Living Comparison Between Paso de los Libres and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Paso de los Libres and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,010 per month in Paso de los Libres vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,645 per month in Paso de los Libres vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,281 per month in Paso de los Libres vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Paso de los Libres and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Paso de los Libres and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Paso de los Libres 25% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 ARS 14.8K

$5.99 COP 21.4K

73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.66 ARS 48.0K

$32.86 COP 117.4K

2.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 ARS 12.8K

$7.09 COP 25.3K

26.52%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ARS 3,785

$1.71 COP 6,115

54.97%

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

$1.64 ARS 2,341

$1.10 COP 3,924

49.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ARS 2,222

$0.78 COP 2,781

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 ARS 2,979

$1.68 COP 5,997

24.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ARS 4,352

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ARS 1,873

$1.09 COP 3,906

20.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ARS 2,351

$1.26 COP 4,508

30.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 2,921

$1.38 COP 4,922

48.55%

Eggs

$2.19 ARS 3,122

$2.19 COP 7,827

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ARS 14.3K

$4.40 COP 15.7K

128.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ARS 8,691

$5.63 COP 20.1K

8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.64 ARS 13.8K

$8.89 COP 31.8K

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ARS 2,787

$2.34 COP 8,349

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ARS 3,040

$1.06 COP 3,777

100.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,795

$1.50 COP 5,374

-16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 ARS 3,776

$1.38 COP 4,924

92.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ARS 1,686

$1.15 COP 4,111

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,774

$1.16 COP 4,155

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ARS 1,887

$0.89 COP 3,182

48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ARS 2,097

$0.84 COP 2,997

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ARS 4,388

$2.28 COP 8,145

35.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.39 ARS 6,268

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-58.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ARS 2,951

$1.20 COP 4,284

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,559

$2.47 COP 8,824

29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ARS 1,172

$0.86 COP 3,056

-4.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.72 ARS 39.5K

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-33.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ARS 2,177

$1.47 COP 5,264

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ARS 1,284

$1.96 COP 7,009

-54.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 ARS 8,742

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-20.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ARS 1,515

$0.95 COP 3,409

11.58%

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

$27.3K ARS 38.9M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

50.51%

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

$30.3K ARS 43.2M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

14.46%

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

$66.4 ARS 94.8K

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-19.23%

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

$17.22 ARS 24.6K

$9.50 COP 33.9K

81.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ARS 31.6K

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-8.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.77 ARS 36.8K

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ARS 19.8K

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-26.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ARS 8,664

$3.93 COP 14.0K

54.45%

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

$219 ARS 312.6K

$309 COP 1.1M

-29.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,699 ARS 3.9M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-54.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 ARS 107.2K

$58.7 COP 209.5K

28.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 ARS 99.8K

$32.35 COP 115.5K

116.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 162.0K

$103 COP 366.4K

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ARS 157.5K

$108 COP 387.2K

1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ARS 473.5K

$476 COP 1.7M

-30.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ARS 342.4K

$379 COP 1.4M

-36.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 ARS 957.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

-19.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ARS 772.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

-25.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,171 ARS 3.1M

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-22.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

13.43

335.59%

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

Last update for Paso de los Libres: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Paso de los Libres versus $476 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 Paso de los Libres versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $188 – 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

Paso de los Libres vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,514 per month in Paso de los Libres and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 49% less in Paso de los Libres. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Paso de los Libres, where all-in costs run around $1,010, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Paso de los Libres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paso de los Libres – 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 Paso de los Libres. 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.