Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Salento
Learn more

Salento Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $797 per month in Salento vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Salento $797
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,212 per month in Salento vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Salento $1,212
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,627 per month in Salento vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Salento $1,627
Medellin $3,249

Salento is about 53% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Salento sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 COP 12.4K

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-53.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 COP 75.6K

$46.53 COP 150.2K

-49.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 COP 24.1K

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-21.33%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 5,048

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-50.16%

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

$0.93 COP 2,999

$1.77 COP 5,702

-47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,846

$1.42 COP 4,599

-59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 COP 3,681

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-63.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 COP 6,920

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-62.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,582

$1.53 COP 4,948

-27.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,212

$2.29 COP 7,397

-43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 COP 3,691

$1.94 COP 6,279

-41.24%

Eggs

$2.14 COP 6,914

$3.07 COP 9,900

-30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 COP 14.7K

$9.99 COP 32.3K

-54.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 COP 17.5K

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-48.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 COP 24.0K

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-46.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 COP 7,956

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-39.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,517

$1.53 COP 4,934

-28.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,209

$2.10 COP 6,794

-38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,571

$2.29 COP 7,405

-51.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,714

$2.11 COP 6,810

-45.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,664

$1.71 COP 5,518

-33.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 COP 2,817

$1.17 COP 3,778

-25.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 COP 2,086

$1.58 COP 5,101

-58.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 7,586

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-39.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 COP 30.2K

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,495

$1.76 COP 5,688

-38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,604

$2.71 COP 8,756

-35.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,223

$1.18 COP 3,809

-41.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 COP 95.9K

$76.3 COP 246.3K

-61.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 COP 4,780

$1.81 COP 5,833

-18.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 COP 5,491

$2.13 COP 6,874

-20.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 COP 19.6K

$8.13 COP 26.3K

-25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 COP 3,084

$1.28 COP 4,117

-25.00%

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

$17.7K COP 57.3M

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-48.50%

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

$25.0K COP 80.9M

$34.1K COP 110.2M

-26.62%

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

$83.6 COP 269.8K

$178 COP 573.8K

-52.98%

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

$8.89 COP 28.7K

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-36.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.56 COP 72.8K

$30.74 COP 99.2K

-26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.36 COP 75.4K

$41.94 COP 135.4K

-44.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 COP 13.0K

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-45.92%

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

$242 COP 782.4K

$790 COP 2.6M

-69.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,913 COP 19.1M

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-51.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 COP 186.7K

$86.3 COP 278.7K

-33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 COP 105.2K

$59.3 COP 191.3K

-44.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 COP 273.0K

$138 COP 446.6K

-38.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 COP 238.0K

$98.8 COP 319.0K

-25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 COP 884.6K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-79.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 COP 754.8K

$667 COP 2.2M

-64.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 COP 1.7M

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-73.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 COP 1.3M

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-59.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,417 COP 4.6M

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-65.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 COP 3.5M

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-44.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

10.94

19.38%

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

Last update for Salento: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salento

$234 29.3%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 185% $433

Groceries & Markets

Salento

$175 21.9%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 76.1% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salento

$115 14.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 93.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Salento

$112 14%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 53.9% $60

Eating Out

Salento

$88 11%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 96.3% $85

Getting Around

Salento

$42 5.3%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 120% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Salento

$31 4%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 80.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Salento 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 $23 in Salento versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $307 – making Salento the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Salento

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

Same time as Salento

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,748

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salento Medellin 180 km

From you

Salento
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Salento vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,196 per month in Salento 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 Salento, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Salento and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $797 in Salento and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Salento about 53% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Salento, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Salento it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Salento is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.