Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tibas and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,724 in Tibas, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Tibas despite lower rent and utilities.

82

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,724

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,724 per month in Tibas vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Tibas $1,724
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,646 per month in Tibas vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Tibas $2,646
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,567 per month in Tibas vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Tibas $3,567
Medellin $3,186

Tibas costs about 5% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tibas and Medellin sit above the global median – Tibas by 27%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.21 ₡5,510

$8.09 COP 25.6K

50.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 ₡15.6K

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-26.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 ₡4,930

$9.50 COP 30.1K

14.95%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₡1,760

$3.01 COP 9,540

29.57%

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

$2.37 ₡1,071

$1.80 COP 5,693

31.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡859

$1.41 COP 4,469

34.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 ₡1,263

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,020

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$1.51 COP 4,778

58.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,391

$2.38 COP 7,524

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,139

$1.77 COP 5,606

42.37%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,614

$2.89 COP 9,146

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 ₡4,819

$10.19 COP 32.2K

4.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 ₡4,785

$9.87 COP 31.2K

7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 ₡6,357

$13.99 COP 44.3K

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 ₡2,247

$3.97 COP 12.6K

25.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.55 COP 4,911

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,117

$2.18 COP 6,907

115.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,740

$2.18 COP 6,910

76.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₡1,689

$1.96 COP 6,210

90.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 ₡1,633

$1.59 COP 5,029

127.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.15 COP 3,625

-6.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,444

$1.24 COP 3,934

158.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,739

$3.96 COP 12.5K

53.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.22 ₡9,127

$13.68 COP 43.3K

47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,303

$1.66 COP 5,252

74.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₡1,678

$2.26 COP 7,145

64.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡586

$1.17 COP 3,696

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$1.27 COP 4,013

88.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡725

$2.05 COP 6,480

-21.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 ₡3,898

$8.55 COP 27.1K

0.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡710

$1.35 COP 4,262

16.30%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$34.1K COP 107.8M

1.55%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$34.7K COP 109.7M

19.66%

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

$95.9 ₡43.3K

$170 COP 536.8K

-43.47%

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

$35.33 ₡15.9K

$13.55 COP 42.9K

160.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$28.07 COP 88.8K

110.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 ₡31.0K

$43.70 COP 138.3K

57.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ₡3,556

$6.91 COP 21.9K

14.04%

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

$972 ₡438.8K

$797 COP 2.5M

22.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.9M

$9,112 COP 28.8M

91.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.9K

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-16.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.4K

$58.0 COP 183.4K

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.2K

$135 COP 427.1K

-6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.3K

$97.9 COP 309.7K

34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 ₡367.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡289.5K

$642 COP 2.0M

-0.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 ₡851.5K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-6.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₡559.6K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

22.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$983 ₡443.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

49.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Tibas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tibas

$641 37.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Tibas

$402 23.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 26.1% $105

Eating Out

Tibas

$217 12.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 21.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tibas

$190 11%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 11.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Tibas

$173 10.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 2.5% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tibas

$84 4.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 31.8% $27

Getting Around

Tibas

$16 * 0.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 499% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $814 in Tibas 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.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Tibas. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Tibas versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Tibas vs $297 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tibas

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h ahead of Tibas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,842

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tibas Medellin 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tibas
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

Tibas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tibas is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,586 per month in Tibas 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 Tibas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $814 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Tibas and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Tibas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,724 in Tibas and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,724 in Tibas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tibas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.