Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ushuaia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ushuaia: $957 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Ushuaia
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Ushuaia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Ushuaia

🇦🇷 Argentina

$957

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $957 per month in Ushuaia vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Ushuaia $957
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,570 per month in Ushuaia vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Ushuaia $1,570
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,183 per month in Ushuaia vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Ushuaia $2,183
Medellin $3,190

Ushuaia is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Ushuaia sits 29% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 ARS 15.8K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

30.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.08 ARS 50.2K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-28.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 ARS 13.7K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-4.63%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ARS 4,224

$3.11 COP 9,866

-10.61%

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

$1.67 ARS 2,528

$1.83 COP 5,800

-8.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,330

$1.38 COP 4,360

11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 ARS 3,274

$3.05 COP 9,672

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ARS 4,610

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-44.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ARS 1,984

$1.45 COP 4,600

-9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,388

$2.36 COP 7,496

-33.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 3,069

$1.68 COP 5,328

20.24%

Eggs

$2.27 ARS 3,449

$2.86 COP 9,077

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ARS 15.4K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ARS 9,633

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-33.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 ARS 14.0K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-34.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,052

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-50.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,132

$1.50 COP 4,742

37.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,933

$2.17 COP 6,891

-41.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 ARS 3,980

$2.31 COP 7,310

13.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,779

$1.93 COP 6,113

-39.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,809

$1.64 COP 5,196

-27.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ARS 2,005

$1.13 COP 3,571

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,197

$1.25 COP 3,954

16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 ARS 4,716

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-22.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ARS 7,625

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-62.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ARS 2,994

$1.70 COP 5,384

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,583

$2.37 COP 7,525

27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ARS 1,173

$1.21 COP 3,827

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ARS 2,224

$1.32 COP 4,179

11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ARS 1,308

$2.14 COP 6,774

-59.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 ARS 8,894

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-30.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ARS 1,671

$1.30 COP 4,114

-15.38%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-0.36%

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

$30.4K ARS 46.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-14.28%

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

$65.8 ARS 99.8K

$172 COP 545.6K

-61.77%

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

$17.24 ARS 26.2K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

28.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.31 ARS 33.9K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-22.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.50 ARS 40.2K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.68 ARS 20.8K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-19.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 ARS 9,341

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-1.91%

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

$220 ARS 333.3K

$770 COP 2.4M

-71.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,731 ARS 4.1M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-69.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ARS 113.9K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-13.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.4 ARS 106.8K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

23.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$137 COP 432.9K

-16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ARS 168.4K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ARS 519.2K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-67.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ARS 354.2K

$616 COP 2.0M

-62.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ARS 1.1M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-63.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ARS 814.2K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-47.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 ARS 2.8M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-54.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-5.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

10.94

434.73%

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

Last update for Ushuaia: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ushuaia

$233 24.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 164% $382

Groceries & Markets

Ushuaia

$231 24.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 27.5% $64

Eating Out

Ushuaia

$173 18.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 2.9% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ushuaia

$167 17.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 2% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ushuaia

$105 11%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 103% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Ushuaia

$39 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 48.9% $19

Getting Around

Ushuaia

$8.9 * 0.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 952% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $342 in Ushuaia 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 $33.00 in Ushuaia versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $295 – making Ushuaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Ushuaia

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

2 h behind Ushuaia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,538

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ushuaia Medellin 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ushuaia
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

Ushuaia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,436 per month in Ushuaia and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ushuaia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Ushuaia and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ushuaia, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Ushuaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ushuaia. 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.