Cost of Living in Medellin

Summary of cost of living in Medellin, Colombia:

Restaurants
Edit Range
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 5.60 $ 3.36-10.08
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 26.88 $ 20.16-44.80
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) 6.50 $ 5.15-7.62
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) 1.42 $ 0.90-2.24
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 2.69 $ 1.79-3.58
Cappuccino (regular) 1.50 $ 0.78-2.24
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) 0.93 $ 0.67-1.34
Water (12 oz small bottle) 0.67 $ 0.49-1.00
Markets
Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon) 3.89 $ 2.71-5.85
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) 1.24 $ 0.71-4.06
Rice (white), (1 lb) 0.55 $ 0.30-1.13
Eggs (regular) (12) 1.91 $ 1.34-2.69
Local Cheese (1 lb) 1.93 $ 1.02-3.38
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 2.35 $ 0.86-4.06
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) 4.12 $ 2.34-6.10
Apples (1 lb) 0.98 $ 0.51-1.52
Banana (1 lb) 0.41 $ 0.23-0.91
Oranges (1 lb) 0.63 $ 0.30-1.02
Tomato (1 lb) 0.56 $ 0.20-0.81
Potato (1 lb) 0.50 $ 0.25-1.02
Onion (1 lb) 0.51 $ 0.23-0.71
Lettuce (1 head) 0.82 $ 0.34-1.34
Water (1.5 liter bottle) 0.82 $ 0.34-1.34
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 8.96 $ 6.72-22.40
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 0.99 $ 0.67-1.29
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 2.00 $ 1.01-2.69
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) 2.02 $ 1.68-2.91
Transportation
Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 0.72 $ 0.64-0.81
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) 35.84 $ 13.44-47.04
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 1.23 $ 1.01-1.57
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) 2.88 $ 1.80-4.33
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 6.50 $ 5.60-10.08
Gasoline (1 gallon) 3.37 $ 3.09-3.58
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) 17,246.43 $ 16,574.49-17,470.41
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) 25,399.80 $ 26,429.59-28,000.00
Utilities (Monthly)
Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment 74.44 $ 54.40-111.99
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data 8.92 $ 5.60-17.92
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 22.77 $ 16.80-33.60
Sports And Leisure
Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 26.36 $ 15.68-44.80
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 15.96 $ 10.08-20.16
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 3.70 $ 3.36-5.60
Childcare
Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child 267.10 $ 179.18-447.96
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child 5,005.94 $ 4,031.63-6,719.39
Clothing And Shoes
Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 55.62 $ 33.60-78.39
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 34.71 $ 13.44-55.99
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 89.49 $ 55.99-111.99
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes 90.91 $ 55.99-134.39
Rent Per Month
Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 438.00 $ 223.98-783.93
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 319.46 $ 201.58-450.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 775.59 $ 515.15-1,343.88
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 648.68 $ 425.56-895.92
Buy Apartment Price
Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 146.29 $ 66.59-228.89
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 123.64 $ 93.64-166.47
Salaries And Financing
Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 406.48 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate 14.50 10.00-18.00

Prices in Medellin

This city had 1398 entries in the past 12 months by 148 different contributors.
Last update: November 2024
Sources and References
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
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24 Comments so far
Anonymous on May 23, 2024:
Try to stay alive living in Medellin SCOTTY yes it's very dangerous
scott on Apr 27, 2024:
I moved here 3 years ago from Tennessee and I will never move back to the USA from Medellin.
neaumusic on Apr 25, 2024:
Went to Medellin for a month and had a great time, the people are exceptionally kind to normal/kind foreigners. Some tourists are obnoxious and I can't say the same for them, but overall the people are really down to earth and 'tranquilo' / the same as anywhere else in the world. The equivalent of not walking alone in sketchy neighborhoods in the US apply there, I'd just take a $1-4 Uber at night.. but the city is absolutely beautiful, surrounded and inside of a jungle. It's like an unchained Los Angeles at 1/4 the price, which I still don't really understand. Why does paying for the same work in one place not equate to the same work in another?
Anonymous on Nov 03, 2022:
As of November 4 2022 $1 USD = 5,068 Colombian pesos by the end of December 2022 most likely it'll be $1 USD = 6,500 Colombian pesos music to my ears.

Petro announced September 2022 no more taxes on retirement pensions for foreigners retired in Colombia.Hes running out of money for infrastructure and social medicine for Colombians

However taxes shouldn't have ever been for retired foreigners pensions contributing to the Colombian economy in the first place.

Colombia has always been a mixed bag of corruption against retired foreigners.Unfortunately for Colombia their dishonest actions against retired foreigners has backfired upon Colombia especially since retired foreigners are leaving by the thousands and never returning to Colombia again.

Karma bites suffer
Anonymous on Sep 21, 2022:
Everyone knows Gustavo Petro m19 guerrilla group was backed by Pablo Escobar and now Gustavo Petro wants to work with Washington DC to iradicate,cocaine in Colombia. Its hard to iradicate,cocaine when Gustavo Petro is a promoter of it. The u s government stopped giving Colombia government 500 million usd per year to iradicate,cocaine because coca production was up 87%.
Anonymous on Sep 10, 2022:
Anyone thinking of visiting medellin or anywhere else in Colombia should think twice before landing anywhere in Colombia. Violence is rife throughout the country people are desperate for food and money to buy basic things needed. Foreigners that have retired in Colombia are moving targets now. They always have been but even moreso,since the peso has lost much of its value. Don't believe all of the hype about Colombia being the place to be because false information could cost people their lives. I lived in Colombia almost 14 years as a retired foreigner but last month I left Colombia last month due to major violence against Foreigners.
Anonymous on Aug 28, 2022:
Hello Carlos!!!

After reading the posts from the Colombia accountant letting you know the person who posted that information is absolutely correct.
We are retired Americans who lived in Colombia exactly 1 year and then we left permanently.When we moved to Colombia in the beginning we hired a supposed reputable tax accountant in Medellin. We were assured we wouldn't pay any taxes on our pensions but that was false. Out accountant in Medellin called us 4 days before the tax deadline approached.He went over our income jointly from social security and told us we owed taxes plus penalties for not informing the Colombia tax headquarters when we entered the country.My husband laughed and said you must be thinking about someone else but he said he wasn't joking. Needless to say he charged us $200 usd for looking at our tax liability in the beginning. Then he said it'll be $300 usd this time since his services went up but we didn't pay him this time. We went to the tax office and paid the taxes we owed Colombia which was over $4,000 usd.After we paid our taxes we left that day. Always remember Colombia doesn't have a tax treaty with the united states.
Carlos on Aug 15, 2022:
Anonymous (or any accountant), regarding the retirement pensions from foreign sources, do they tax 15% to everybody or there is a variable percentage bracket (e.g. they tax more to those who receive more money from their annuities)?

Does your retirement pension counts toward the variable percentage calculation if you also have non retirement income from abroad?

I could not find answers to these questions. However, I am now sure that Colombia does tax retirees if they pensions come from abroad (see https://contadorespublicossantander.com/?p=10041#:~:text=solo%20los%20aportes%20que%20se%20efect%C3%BAan%20a%20fondos%20de%20pensi%C3%B3n%20en%20el%20pa%C3%ADs%20gozan%20del%20beneficio%20fiscal%20antes%20referido%2C%20no%20as%C3%AD%20los%20que%20se%20realicen%20a%20fondos%20en%20el%20exterior%E2%80%9D.).

For instance, if you make $2,000/month from US Social Security Retirement and $1,000/month from Internet work (US funds from the USA), Would you pay like 15% from the SSA ($300/month)? Will regard to the $1,000, would they tax you in an income bracket based on earning totaling $1,000 or $3,000? I appreciate any answer or part of the answer. I will probably talk to a Colombian accountant about this.

I know that the law is about to change and that this new government is going to charge taxes even in local pensioners, that is, those who make more than 10,000,000 COP. But again, this new proposed law will apparently apply only to pensioners who get their money in Colombia, not from foreign sources (See: https://www.semana.com/amp/finanzas/impuestos/articulo/los-pensionados-que-pagaran-cero-impuestos-y-los-que-pagaran-de-400-mil-mensuales-en-adelante/202200/#:~:text=Quienes%20ganen%2010%20millones%20de%20pesos%20o%20menos%2C%20pagar%C3%A1n%20cero.%20%E2%80%9CDe%20ah%C3%AD%20en%20adelante%2C%20entra%20en%20la%20tabla.%20Ese%20rango%20es%20un%20poquito%20m%C3%A1s%20del%2020%20%25%E2%80%9D%2C%20dijo.).
Anonymous on Aug 02, 2022:
Don't be fooled into believing Colombia doesn't tax retirement pensions abroad because the government does at a rate of 15%. Regardless of what anyone says online about no taxes on retirement pensions abroad it's not true.Colombia doesn't have a taxation agreement with any country.

Retired tax accountant Colombia
Kala Medellin on Jul 24, 2022:
Female tourist deserve to be drugged and assaulted anywhere anytime. It's our way of saying I hope it hurts.
Kala Medellin
Anonymous on Feb 10, 2022:
Most male tourists deserve to be robbed and assaulted in Medellin. It's our way of saying we want all of your money and jewelry.

Kala Medellin
Anonymous on Jan 15, 2022:
Medellín is a lot more dangerous than people claim it is now. On the third night I was here I got assaulted and mugged in front of the police station in Poblado, which many consider to be the safest part of the city. When the police arrived they didn't do an anything. In fact, one of them just made fun of me
Anonymous on Dec 10, 2021:
Since the peso is practically worthless against the dollar women have learned to downgrade their over inflated prices for their services.On average 5 dollars for 30 min 10 for 60 minutes.
Anonymous on Dec 03, 2021:
Medellin is very dangerous now many foreigners getting murdered. Colombians don't like Pablo Escobars name mentioned supposedly but before he was born KANE was alive and well. It's a family tradition throughout Colombia.
Anonymous on Nov 19, 2021:
To Carlos Aug 30 2021

I'm a tax accountant in Medellin and I have been almost 34 years. Dian will only tax retirement pensions regardless of what country provides it after it reaches $105,000 usd or the equivalent of other currencies. If a person owns a home, land, or has other things like ira, cd, etc from their own country they'll be taxed on those things by Dian.No pensioner is taxed unless it reaches about $105,000 usd but when it does it's taxed at 19%.
Carlos on Aug 30, 2021:
About disability retirement from the US. You may receive regular SSA disability (SSDI) and live in most countries in the world legally. However, if your disability retirement annuity is vey low, and you receive "supplemental" income, I think this is considered welfare, and thus you can receive it only if you live in the United States. Also, in Colombia, be aware of the 183 day rule. If you got only $1,000/month on disability and have to pay 20% to the Colombian government, this wouldn't be a very good deal anymore. In you are a pensioner, and make $3,000/month, even at the 20% income tax bracket, that's already $600 a month.
Anonymous on Jul 24, 2021:
A good 1br rent in a safe area is 1.5M-1.7M.
Jason on May 13, 2021:
The rent prices are way understated. A modern 1 br in a good are is 1.5M COP and not 1M
Anonymous on Feb 03, 2021:
Lockdown has been extended until April 1 2021 to be reevaluated at that time in medellin
Anonymous on Sep 17, 2020:
Anon3 I've only got a tourist visa and extended it never a residence visa for this reason. Even if someone has a residence visa and leaves before the 183rd day they are still classified as a resident.They could return two years later and think they're ok but once anyone has a residence visa once the 183rd day is reached say 130 days 2 years ago and came back. In 53 days they would accumulate 183 days. Agencies that get resident visas never tell anyone about DIAN procedures but agencies should be bound by law of revealing it because many are blindsided unfortunately.

Sofia
Anonymous on Sep 17, 2020:
Anon3 Leaving for one week was a typo btw.

Sofia
Anonymous on Sep 17, 2020:
Well Anon3 I have non residence status because I only stay in Colombia 160 days per year Many think they can leave Colombia for several days and it reverts back like starting from the beginning but it doesn't. Any accumulation of 183 days per year does make anyone a tax resident regardless.For example let's say someone arrives in Colombia on October 1st stays 3 months then another 3 months and 3 days the following year.DIAN recognizes split years as counting towards the 183 day rule. Regardless of if someone has a tourist visa and extends it the same rules apply. Many who visit Colombia from abroad automatically assume the roll over year starts again until they get hit with a large tax bill from DIAN Furthermore once the 183rd day occurs a person will be taxed for the entire year on their income whether they're pensioners or not. I'm an international tax lawyer but it doesn't take a degree to figure it out. DIAN plays it this way to throw people off. I've never owed anything in taxes.I hope this has enlightened you on tax regs.

Sofia
Jeff on Sep 12, 2020:
Does anyone know the cost of getting a whole mouth of dental implants in USD?

Thanks
Anon3 on Sep 04, 2020:
Anon, are you SURE you leaving for a week exempts your retirement from taxes? You had better check with a TAX LAWYER or you could be in for a world of hurt if you are wrong. I am pretty sure the days you mentioned refers to TOTAL days stayed in the country during a calendar year, not days stayed in a row. I am not positive but look into it and be SURE.

I was also under the understanding that you are either granted a resident status or not, I am assuming you intentionally never got resident status? if you did receive resident status don't assume it just magically changes to nonresident status depending on your data in the country. It is true you can lose your resident status being away too much but things take time, you may assume you lost it but still be listed as a resident.

But it sounds like you are essentially living there full time, I would bet that you owe a lot of money and just have been lucky and not been caught yet.