Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soledad and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Soledad: $1,307 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Soledad
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,307
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Soledad vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Soledad $1,307
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,057 per month in Soledad vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Soledad $2,057
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,806 per month in Soledad vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Soledad $2,806
  • Medellin $3,190

Soledad is about 19% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Soledad sits 3% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.83 COP 18.6K
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-26.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.55 COP 135.3K
$46.13 COP 146.7K
-7.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.03 COP 31.9K
$9.50 COP 30.2K
5.58%
Cappuccino
$2.56 COP 8,136
$3.11 COP 9,897
-17.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 COP 8,119
$1.83 COP 5,818
39.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 COP 7,155
$1.38 COP 4,373
63.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 COP 10.6K
$3.05 COP 9,702
9.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.15 COP 16.4K
$5.50 COP 17.5K
-6.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 COP 6,155
$1.45 COP 4,614
33.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 COP 8,795
$2.36 COP 7,519
17.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 COP 4,543
$1.68 COP 5,345
-14.88%
Eggs
$4.98 COP 15.8K
$2.86 COP 9,106
74.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.85 COP 25.0K
$10.19 COP 32.4K
-22.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 31.0K
$9.53 COP 30.3K
2.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.34 COP 42.4K
$14.04 COP 44.7K
-4.99%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 COP 11.0K
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-14.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 COP 5,235
$1.50 COP 4,757
10.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 COP 6,361
$2.17 COP 6,913
-7.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,341
$2.31 COP 7,333
-27.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 COP 3,960
$1.93 COP 6,132
-35.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 COP 4,330
$1.64 COP 5,212
-17.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 COP 3,442
$1.13 COP 3,582
-4.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 COP 3,799
$1.25 COP 3,966
-4.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.55 COP 11.3K
$3.99 COP 12.7K
-11.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.35 COP 45.6K
$13.35 COP 42.5K
7.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,477
$1.70 COP 5,400
-17.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 COP 7,011
$2.37 COP 7,548
-7.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.26 COP 4,008
$1.21 COP 3,839
4.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.5 COP 243.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.58 COP 5,017
$1.32 COP 4,192
19.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.65 COP 11.6K
$2.14 COP 6,795
70.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.19 COP 29.2K
$8.47 COP 26.9K
8.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 COP 4,240
$1.30 COP 4,127
2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K COP 73.5M
$28.0K COP 89.0M
-17.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.0K COP 108.0M
$35.4K COP 112.6M
-4.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.3 COP 252.3K
$172 COP 547.3K
-53.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.95 COP 38.0K
$13.37 COP 42.5K
-10.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.61 COP 81.5K
$28.73 COP 91.4K
-10.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.77 COP 104.2K
$45.24 COP 143.9K
-27.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 COP 25.6K
$6.28 COP 20.0K
28.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$627 COP 2.0M
$770 COP 2.4M
-18.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,760 COP 18.3M
$9,011 COP 28.7M
-36.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9 COP 295.3K
$86.4 COP 274.8K
7.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.49 COP 154.2K
$57.1 COP 181.7K
-15.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 COP 370.5K
$137 COP 434.3K
-14.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 COP 347.8K
$97.9 COP 311.4K
11.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$629 COP 2.0M
$1,055 COP 3.4M
-40.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$504 COP 1.6M
$616 COP 2.0M
-18.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$876 COP 2.8M
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-53.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$973 COP 3.1M
$1,023 COP 3.3M
-4.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,768 COP 5.6M
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-56.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,584 COP 5.0M
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-5.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Soledad
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$652 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
10.94
37.11%

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

Last update for Soledad: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Soledad
$504
Medellin
$616 22.2% $112
Groceries & Markets
Soledad
$294
Medellin
$295 0.3% $0.9
Clothing & Footwear
Soledad
$165
Medellin
$170 2.9% $4.9
Eating Out
Soledad
$154
Medellin
$168 9.6% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Soledad
$117
Medellin
$214 83.2% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Soledad
$49
Medellin
$58 18.3% $8.9
Getting Around
Soledad
$25 *
Medellin
$93 276% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $629 in Soledad 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 $43.00 in Soledad versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $295 – making Soledad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Soledad
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
22:22 10:22 PM
22:22 10:22 PM
Same time as Soledad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
582,156
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Soledad Medellin 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Soledad
  • 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
Soledad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Soledad?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,960 per month in Soledad and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Soledad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Soledad or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Soledad and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Soledad and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 0% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Soledad or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Soledad, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Soledad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Soledad or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Soledad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Soledad. 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.

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