Medellín vs Buenos Aires Cost of Living
Medellín (Colombia) · Overall index 28.3 — Buenos Aires (Argentina) · Overall index 37.3
Summary
- Overall, Buenos Aires is 32% more expensive than Medellín.
- Rent in Buenos Aires is 47% more expensive than in Medellín.
- Transport in Buenos Aires is 36% more expensive than in Medellín.
| Item | Medellín | Buenos Aires | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +47% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $723 | $1,039 | +44% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $493 | $720 | +46% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,419 | $1,957 | +38% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $898 | $1,427 | +59% |
| Groceries | +26% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.48 | $0.67 | +40% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.41 | $1.94 | +38% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.07 | $2.2 | +6% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.65 | $2.15 | +30% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.47 | $6.64 | +21% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.22 | $6.42 | +23% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.93 | $9.29 | +17% |
| Apples (1kg) | $1.9 | $2.55 | +34% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.7 | $1.03 | +47% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.57 | $2.18 | +39% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.14 | $2.51 | +17% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.12 | $1.39 | +24% |
| Onions (1kg) | $0.96 | $1.22 | +27% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $0.91 | $1.13 | +24% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.93 | $1.19 | +28% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.22 | $7 | +13% |
| Transport | +36% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.76 | $1 | +32% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $36.9 | $46.7 | +27% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.15 | $1.79 | +56% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.54 | $0.85 | +57% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.31 | $0.37 | +19% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $7,832 | $10,087 | +29% |
| Dining out | +28% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.07 | $8.77 | +24% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $36.6 | $51.1 | +40% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.42 | $5.02 | +47% |
| Cappuccino | $1.79 | $2.15 | +20% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.84 | $1.06 | +26% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.24 | $2.96 | +32% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.76 | $3.3 | +20% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.65 | $0.8 | +23% |
| Telecom | +28% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $28.7 | $35.3 | +23% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $26.6 | $39.4 | +48% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.16 | $0.18 | +12% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $6.25 | $8.1 | +30% |
| Utilities & household | +30% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $56.8 | $77.6 | +37% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.09 | $0.11 | +22% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.6 | $2.47 | +54% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.54 | $0.67 | +24% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $8.16 | $11.9 | +46% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $29.5 | $40.9 | +39% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $5.13 | $8.07 | +57% |
| Men's haircut | $12.9 | $14.3 | +11% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $10.4 | $11.8 | +13% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $869 | $888 | +2% |
2,989 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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