Cost of Living Comparison Between Toa Alta and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Toa Alta and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,304 per month in Toa Alta vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,968 per month in Toa Alta vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,631 per month in Toa Alta vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Toa Alta costs about 27% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Toa Alta and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Toa Alta 2% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 $13.02

$6.16 COP 20.0K

111.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 $79.6

$32.60 COP 106.0K

144.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 $9.57

$7.34 COP 23.9K

30.38%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$1.72 COP 5,592

97.67%

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

$1.56 $1.56

$1.05 COP 3,416

48.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.77 COP 2,511

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.69 COP 5,480

81.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.17 COP 10.3K

38.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.05 COP 3,418

128.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.30 COP 4,230

165.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.40 COP 4,538

60.00%

Eggs

$5.23 $5.23

$2.16 COP 7,037

142.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.39 COP 14.3K

14.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$5.88 COP 19.1K

45.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.28 COP 7,415

155.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.11 COP 3,599

136.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.53 COP 4,976

148.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.35 COP 4,405

205.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.13 COP 3,669

255.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.13 COP 3,687

169.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.85 COP 2,749

249.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.91 COP 2,971

120.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 $12.21

$2.34 COP 7,619

421.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$12.37 COP 40.2K

21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.20 COP 3,904

105.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.49 COP 8,094

25.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.92 COP 6,227

-22.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.82 $14.82

$7.66 COP 24.9K

93.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.99 COP 3,219

-6.06%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

101.89%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-0.98%

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

$394 $394

$80.8 COP 262.7K

387.17%

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

$77.7 $77.7

$9.95 COP 32.3K

680.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 $60.1

$24.18 COP 78.6K

148.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.37 $28.37

$25.08 COP 81.5K

13.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 $7.06

$3.98 COP 13.0K

77.39%

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

$467 $467

$305 COP 992.2K

53.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

70.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.43 $46.43

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-20.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 $55.2

$32.20 COP 104.7K

71.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 $90.2

$101 COP 327.5K

-10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$108 COP 350.3K

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 $1,781

$845 COP 2.7M

110.89%

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 %)

4.78

13.43

-64.41%

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

Last update for Toa Alta: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Toa Alta versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 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

Toa Alta vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toa Alta is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,957 per month in Toa Alta 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 $80.0 in Toa Alta 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 81% more in Toa Alta, 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 Toa Alta at $1,304. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toa Alta 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.

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