Cost of Living Comparison Between Tongi and MedellinCost of Living Comparison Between Tongi and Medellin
Monthly Cost of Living
🙂A single person spends $313 per month in Tongi vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $520 per month in Tongi vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $727 per month in Tongi vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.
🙂Tongi is about 70% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both Tongi and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tongi77% lower, Medellin23% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.67৳205
$5.92COP 21.4K
-71.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.72৳1,194
$32.75COP 118.2K
-70.32%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.98৳611
$7.20COP 26.0K
-30.83%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.03৳495
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.81৳590
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.49৳182
$1.70COP 6,140
-12.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35৳42.48
$1.10COP 3,966
-68.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18৳21.60
$0.72COP 2,605
-75.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.67COP 6,022
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.10COP 11.2K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.70৳85.9
$1.06COP 3,809
-33.96%
White Bread(500g)
$0.60৳73.2
$1.25COP 4,497
-52.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.62৳75.7
$1.39COP 5,022
-55.40%
Eggs
$1.17৳143
$2.26COP 8,168
-48.23%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.86৳842
$4.33COP 15.6K
58.43%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.54৳312
$5.84COP 21.1K
-56.51%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.47৳672
$8.83COP 31.9K
-38.05%
Apples(1kg)
$2.23৳274
$2.24COP 8,099
-0.45%
Banana(1kg)
$1.00৳123
$1.08COP 3,882
-7.41%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.10৳258
$1.53COP 5,522
37.25%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.61৳74.9
$1.37COP 4,950
-55.47%
Potato(1kg)
$0.28৳34.54
$1.13COP 4,078
-75.22%
Onion(1kg)
$0.38৳46.24
$1.12COP 4,036
-66.07%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.33৳40.00
$0.85COP 3,057
-61.18%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.26৳31.57
$0.91COP 3,281
-71.43%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$8.53৳1,047
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28৳280
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.90৳602
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.82৳346
$2.33COP 8,414
21.03%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$11.13COP 40.2K
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.19COP 4,309
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37COP 8,553
-
🚌 Getting Around
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.22৳27.01
$0.79COP 2,838
-72.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.17৳1,248
$41.13COP 148.5K
-75.27%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.84৳104
$1.44COP 5,184
-41.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.40৳48.90
$1.91COP 6,901
-79.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.99৳245
$8.02COP 28.9K
-75.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.01৳124
$0.94COP 3,385
7.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K৳3.5M
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
57.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K৳3.4M
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
2.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$30.02৳3,685
$84.0COP 303.1K
-64.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.61৳566
$9.60COP 34.7K
-51.98%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.23৳1,133
$24.16COP 87.2K
-61.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$13.70৳1,682
$25.88COP 93.4K
-47.06%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.88৳1,458
$19.04COP 68.7K
-37.61%
Cinema Ticket
$4.17৳512
$3.92COP 14.1K
6.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$27.20৳3,339
$306COP 1.1M
-91.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$928৳113.9K
$5,919COP 21.4M
-84.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$15.95৳1,958
$57.9COP 209.1K
-72.46%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.82৳2,188
$31.82COP 114.9K
-44.00%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$33.28৳4,085
$99.9COP 360.6K
-66.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.46৳4,476
$107COP 386.8K
-65.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$68.5৳8,414
$487COP 1.8M
-85.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$41.28৳5,067
$368COP 1.3M
-88.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$166৳20.4K
$826COP 3.0M
-79.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$97.6৳12.0K
$716COP 2.6M
-86.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$563৳69.1K
$2,925COP 10.6M
-80.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$342৳42.0K
$1,407COP 5.1M
-75.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tongi
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$546COP 2.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.29
13.43
-23.38%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tongi: April 27, 2026
Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $68.5 in Tongi versus $487 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 $10.00 in Tongi versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $190 – making Tongi 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
Tongi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Tongi?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 230%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $470 per month in Tongi and $1,550 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 Tongi, 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 Tongi or Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Tongi and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Tongi vs Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $313 in Tongi and $1,034 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Tongi or Medellin?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tongi, where all-in costs run around $313, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Tongi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tongi or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tongi – 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 Tongi. 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.