Cost of Living Comparison Between Polva and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Polva and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,234 per month in Polva vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,933 per month in Polva vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,633 per month in Polva vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Polva costs about 20% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Polva and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Polva 8% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 €14.37

$6.16 COP 20.1K

166.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 €75.9

$32.60 COP 106.1K

166.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €10.02

$7.34 COP 23.9K

55.99%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.73

$1.72 COP 5,600

147.67%

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

$2.98 €2.61

$1.05 COP 3,420

183.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.25

$0.77 COP 2,515

233.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 €5.59

$1.69 COP 5,488

278.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 €5.90

$3.17 COP 10.3K

112.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.05 COP 3,423

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.30 COP 4,236

12.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.65

$1.40 COP 4,544

116.43%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.61

$2.16 COP 7,047

37.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 €11.87

$4.39 COP 14.3K

209.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 €8.48

$5.88 COP 19.1K

64.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.22 €20.31

$8.64 COP 28.1K

168.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.28 COP 7,426

-2.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.11 COP 3,604

37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.42

$1.53 COP 4,983

80.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 €3.28

$1.35 COP 4,410

177.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.19

$1.13 COP 3,674

19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 €0.82

$1.13 COP 3,692

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.85 COP 2,753

131.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.98

$0.91 COP 2,975

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$2.34 COP 7,630

189.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 €9.01

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.20 COP 3,909

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.49 COP 8,104

2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.66

$1.42 COP 4,623

195.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 €0.69

$1.92 COP 6,235

-58.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.41 €15.23

$7.66 COP 24.9K

127.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.74

$0.99 COP 3,223

101.01%

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

$31.7K €27.8K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

76.01%

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

$34.3K €30.0K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

28.94%

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

$352 €308

$80.8 COP 263.1K

335.76%

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

$20.49 €17.93

$9.95 COP 32.4K

105.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.24 €30.83

$24.18 COP 78.7K

45.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 €12.02

$3.98 COP 13.0K

245.23%

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

$263 €230

$305 COP 993.5K

-13.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,825 €6,846

$6,059 COP 19.7M

29.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.6

$58.1 COP 189.2K

95.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.74 €41.77

$32.20 COP 104.8K

48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$101 COP 327.9K

4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €125

$108 COP 350.8K

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.1

13.43

-62.03%

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

Last update for Polva: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Polva versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $193 – 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

Polva vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Polva is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,851 per month in Polva and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Polva 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 67% more in Polva, 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 $1,031, than in Polva at $1,234. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Polva 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, Polva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.