Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Martin de los Andes and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in San Martin de los Andes: $1,264 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in San Martin de los Andes
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San Martin de los Andes Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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San Martin de los Andes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,264

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Martin de los Andes 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 San Martin de los Andes and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,264 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

San Martin de los Andes $1,264
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,136 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

San Martin de los Andes $2,136
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,007 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

San Martin de los Andes $3,007
Medellin $3,186

San Martin de los Andes is about 23% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

San Martin de los Andes sits 7% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 ARS 27.8K

$8.09 COP 25.6K

122.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 ARS 88.1K

$47.05 COP 148.9K

21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.84 ARS 21.3K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

45.68%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ARS 5,091

$3.01 COP 9,540

9.63%

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

$1.97 ARS 3,041

$1.80 COP 5,693

9.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ARS 3,122

$1.41 COP 4,469

43.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ARS 5,309

$3.18 COP 10.0K

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 ARS 7,191

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-18.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,183

$1.51 COP 4,778

-5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ARS 3,656

$2.38 COP 7,524

-0.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,048

$1.77 COP 5,606

11.86%

Eggs

$2.92 ARS 4,506

$2.89 COP 9,146

1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ARS 16.4K

$10.19 COP 32.2K

4.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 ARS 12.3K

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-19.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 ARS 15.3K

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ARS 3,291

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-46.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,568

$1.55 COP 4,911

49.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,296

$2.18 COP 6,907

-31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 ARS 3,815

$2.18 COP 6,910

13.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,797

$1.96 COP 6,210

-40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ARS 1,706

$1.59 COP 5,029

-30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,220

$1.24 COP 3,934

16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ARS 5,303

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 ARS 8,314

$13.68 COP 43.3K

-60.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ARS 3,279

$1.66 COP 5,252

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,670

$2.26 COP 7,145

34.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ARS 1,433

$1.17 COP 3,696

-20.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ARS 2,429

$1.27 COP 4,013

24.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ARS 1,876

$1.35 COP 4,262

-9.63%

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

$27.5K ARS 42.4M

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-19.34%

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

$30.9K ARS 47.7M

$34.7K COP 109.7M

-10.73%

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

$134 ARS 206.8K

$170 COP 536.8K

-20.92%

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

$15.99 ARS 24.7K

$13.55 COP 42.9K

18.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 ARS 42.4K

$28.07 COP 88.8K

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.26 ARS 48.2K

$43.70 COP 138.3K

-28.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 ARS 29.7K

$17.19 COP 54.4K

12.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 ARS 13.5K

$6.91 COP 21.9K

26.48%

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

$239 ARS 368.6K

$797 COP 2.5M

-69.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

$9,112 COP 28.8M

-54.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ARS 163.7K

$84.7 COP 268.1K

25.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.5 ARS 131.8K

$58.0 COP 183.4K

47.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 194.9K

$135 COP 427.1K

-6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ARS 200.6K

$97.9 COP 309.7K

32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 ARS 717.2K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-61.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ARS 479.0K

$642 COP 2.0M

-51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ARS 1.6M

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 ARS 1.3M

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-18.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,249 ARS 1.9M

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-34.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for San Martin de los Andes: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Martin de los Andes

$311 24.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 106% $331

Eating Out

San Martin de los Andes

$268 21.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 36.7% $98

Groceries & Markets

San Martin de los Andes

$252 * 20%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 17.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

San Martin de los Andes

$202 16%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 16.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Martin de los Andes

$178 14.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 18.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

San Martin de los Andes

$49 3.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 18.1% $8.8

Getting Around

San Martin de los Andes

$5.3 * 0.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1668% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $465 in San Martin de los Andes versus $1,208 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 $57 in San Martin de los Andes versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in San Martin de los Andes vs $297 in Medellin – so San Martin de los Andes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Martin de los Andes

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

2 h behind San Martin de los Andes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,913

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,541 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,716 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Martin de los Andes Medellin 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Martin de los Andes
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

San Martin de los Andes 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 $1,897 per month in San Martin de los Andes and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Martin de los Andes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $465 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in San Martin de los Andes and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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