# Medellin — relocation profile

Medellin, Colombia · Flawed democracy · livability 50/100

## At a glance

- **Country:** Colombia
- **Region:** South America
- **Estimated monthly cost of living (solo, renting in the centre):** $1,884/month
- **Livability score:** 50 / 100 (rank 123 of 132 Townleap cities)
- **Settler safety score:** 29 / 100 (rank 125 of 132)
- **Cost vs New York City:** 82% cheaper
- **Also appears in:** Remote Workers, Lowest Crime, Budget Maximizers, Startup Cities, Mountain Towns, South American Gems, Remote Work Visa Cities, Fresh Start Cities, Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Cities, Retire Abroad, Young Professionals, Tech Settler, Open Door Cities, Queer Settlers, Leaving the UK, Freelance-Friendly

## Cost of living

| Item | USD / month |
| --- | --- |
| Rent — 1-bed, city centre | $703 |
| Rent — 1-bed, outside centre | $477 |
| Rent — 3-bed, city centre | $1,292 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $539 |
| **Total monthly cost (solo, rent included)** | **$1,884** |

One-off cost to land (deposit, agency fee, furnishing, first admin): $2,591.

Reference point: 82% cheaper than NYC.

## Settling

- **Democracy index (EIU, 0–10):** 6.3
- **Regime type:** Flawed democracy
- **Homicide rate:** 25.3 per 100,000/year
- **Time to permanent residency:** 5 years
- **Time to citizenship:** 10 years
- **English proficiency:** Low (EF EPI 480)
- **Main languages:** Spanish

## Day to day

- **Summer (low–high):** 17–26°C
- **Winter (low–high):** 17–25°C
- **Internet speed:** 78.50 Mbps
- **Healthcare index (0–100):** 70.9
- **Natural features:** mountains

## Economy

- **GDP per capita:** $22,349 (2024, country-level)
- **Inflation:** 6.6% (2024)
- **Unemployment:** 8.3% (2025)
- **Population:** 2,529,403

## Similar cities

| City | Country | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Monthly cost | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Florianopolis | Brazil | $627 | $1,675 | /cities/florianopolis |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | $661 | $1,816 | /cities/rio-de-janeiro |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | $767 | $2,388 | /cities/buenos-aires |
| Boquete | Panama | $725 | $1,618 | /cities/boquete |
| Atenas | Costa Rica | $650 | $1,169 | /cities/atenas |

## Related pages

- Cost of living breakdown: /cost-of-living/medellin
- Compare with another city: /cities/compare
- Visa and residency paths: /cities/medellin/visa

---

Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/cities/medellin) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.