Cost of Living Comparison Between Vac and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Vac and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,122 per month in Vac vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,777 per month in Vac vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,431 per month in Vac vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Vac costs about 11% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Vac and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Vac 16% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 Ft 2,685

$5.99 COP 21.4K

46.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.58 Ft 14.2K

$32.86 COP 117.4K

41.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 Ft 2,577

$7.09 COP 25.3K

19.18%

Cappuccino

$2.14 Ft 653

$1.71 COP 6,115

25.15%

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

$1.44 Ft 438

$1.10 COP 3,924

30.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 Ft 329

$0.78 COP 2,781

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 Ft 577

$1.68 COP 5,997

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 Ft 694

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-25.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Ft 324

$1.09 COP 3,906

-2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 471

$1.26 COP 4,508

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 Ft 585

$1.38 COP 4,922

39.13%

Eggs

$2.69 Ft 820

$2.19 COP 7,827

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 Ft 2,790

$4.40 COP 15.7K

107.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 Ft 1,777

$5.63 COP 20.1K

3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 Ft 3,625

$8.89 COP 31.8K

33.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 Ft 571

$2.34 COP 8,349

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 Ft 577

$1.06 COP 3,777

78.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 623

$1.50 COP 5,374

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 Ft 952

$1.38 COP 4,924

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 335

$1.15 COP 4,111

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 Ft 382

$1.16 COP 4,155

7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 457

$0.89 COP 3,182

68.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Ft 172

$0.84 COP 2,997

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,029

$2.28 COP 8,145

191.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 Ft 1,658

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-48.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 Ft 333

$1.20 COP 4,284

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 Ft 431

$2.47 COP 8,824

-42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 Ft 347

$0.86 COP 3,056

32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 Ft 7,588

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-39.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 Ft 904

$1.47 COP 5,264

102.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 Ft 337

$1.96 COP 7,009

-43.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.31 Ft 5,280

$7.74 COP 27.6K

123.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 Ft 539

$0.95 COP 3,409

86.32%

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

$26.2K Ft 8.0M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

44.70%

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

$30.6K Ft 9.3M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

15.43%

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

$141 Ft 42.9K

$82.3 COP 293.7K

71.06%

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

$26.12 Ft 7,965

$9.50 COP 33.9K

174.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.74 Ft 6,021

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.11 Ft 14.4K

$25.89 COP 92.4K

81.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 Ft 5,177

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-10.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 Ft 2,224

$3.93 COP 14.0K

85.50%

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

$300 Ft 91.4K

$309 COP 1.1M

-3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,697 Ft 2.0M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 Ft 21.7K

$58.7 COP 209.5K

21.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 Ft 8,463

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-14.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 Ft 22.4K

$103 COP 366.4K

-28.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 Ft 25.9K

$108 COP 387.2K

-21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 Ft 132.8K

$476 COP 1.7M

-8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 Ft 104.1K

$379 COP 1.4M

-9.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 Ft 233.7K

$838 COP 3.0M

-8.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 Ft 215.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

-2.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,233 Ft 985.9K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

15.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,480 Ft 756.4K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

104.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,534 Ft 468.0K

$512 COP 1.8M

199.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

13.43

-44.90%

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

Last update for Vac: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $436 in Vac versus $476 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 200% higher in Vac, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Vac versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $188 – 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

Vac vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vac is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,683 per month in Vac and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $47.00 in Vac and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,122 in Vac and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Vac at $1,122. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vac 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.

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