Cost of living in Medellin

It would be interesting to exchange on the cost of life in Medellin, so that future expats in Medellin can make a budget!

For a start, we thing about the cost of:

- accomodation (appartment, or house)
- water and electricity
- public transport (metro, bus or taxi)
- monthly household shopping
- average price for bread, butter, milk, eggs, kg of meat...
- medical insurance
- visit to the house doctor
- school fees (specify which school)
- petrol
- average price of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
- a beer or a coffee in a bar or pub
- a cinema ticket

and of course, if you think I forgot an important point, just add it up!

Thanks for your participation :)

- accommodation (apartment, or house)
Fully Furnished 2-3 bedroom apartment with internet in excellent location would be around $2.000.000 COP per month.  That's around $1,000 USD.

Unfurnished would range from $600.000 to 1.200.000 per month for a 6-months to 12-months lease.

- water $40.000 COP/m

- electricity $30.000/m

- Internet, phone and Cable TV $130.000 COP/m

- public transport (metro 1.400 COP, bus 1.200 COP or taxi ~ 5.000 to 10.000 COP)
- monthly household shopping (varies, a trip costs 100.000 - 150.000 COP)
- medical insurance EPS 50-65.000 COP, Coomeva Gold 250.000, suramerica 350.000 -- those are very rough estimates, the cost is in the details
- visit to the house doctor
- school fees (specify which school)
- petrol
- average price of a good menu in a traditional restaurant ~30.000 COP
- average price for a full course comida casera 6.000 - 7.000
- a beer 1.500 - 3.500 or a coffee in a bar or pub 1.500
- a cinema ticket

Thank you for this useful information, Travem! :)

accomodation (appartment, or house)
Unfurnished Apt. 4 bed in Estrato 3 gated community  580,000 COP incl Community charge automatically renewable 6 month lease.

- water,electricity,gas and sewerage -  160,000 COP

- Cable TV Telephone + Internet(4Mb) 105,000

- monthly household shopping - 500,000 COP
 
- medical insurance - EPS is 2% of your 'declared' income, so varies from person to person but covers the family.

- average price of a good menu in a traditional restaurant - 30,000 COP

- a beer or a coffee in a bar or pub

- a cinema ticket - varies according to Cinema and time of day, average 9000 COP

These are based on a couple with no children living in Estrato 3, all Utility Bills vary with your Estrato number.

Thank you PhilipCo for your contribution! :)

Aurélie

Quite a difference in rent costs from $1,000 a month to $330.00 a month. From having been to Medellin  a couple times I know a little but not a enough to know what average rent is. Where can I get more info on average rent? I would be looking for a high rise one bedroom or even studio.

Thanks!

vivavisos.com  this is an excellent site to look at local apartment prices. I hope this helps.

It depends how long you will be renting for and how you chooses to live. I will say I think most of the furnished apartments offered up by other expats are way over priced.