Composite profile
Overall score
70/100
Use the Medellín profile to compare cost framing, transport access, and country-level context alongside Bogotá and other Andean metros.
Overall70/100
Affordability78/100
Air quality60/100
Energy65/100
Colombia / Latin America
Medellín, Colombia City Intelligence
Medellín is a Colombian metro widely referenced for active urban renewal and metro infrastructure, useful for Latin-American relocation comparison. Medellín is a latin america city of about ~4.0M metro in Colombia. On the composite city-intelligence score, Medellín sits around the indexed median (70/100).
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Population
- ~4.0M metro
Image credit: Image: Luis90f / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall city intelligence
Good70/100
Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.
Data confidence
Directional
Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.
Verified utility layers
See country hub
Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.
Medellín data table
The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 70/100 | Composite score across major city intelligence modules. |
| Cost of Living | 78/100 | Medellín's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Air Quality | 60/100 | Medellín's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Energy | 65/100 | Medellín's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context. |
| Safety | 68/100 | Medellín's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available. |
| Internet Speed | 68/100 | Medellín's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references. |
| Climate Risk | 65/100 | Medellín's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity. |
| Resilience | 65/100 | Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context. |
Safety
Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.
Safety
Overall safety45/100
Low crime46/100
Personal safety47/100
Night safety38/100
Road safety49/100
Medellín scores below average for safety in our index (45/100); research neighborhoods and take standard precautions.
Quality of Life
A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.
Quality of Life
Quality of life56/100
Healthcare61/100
Education67/100
Green space42/100
Cleanliness50/100
Infrastructure65/100
Mobility60/100
Medellín has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (56/100) across our combined indicators.
Family Friendliness
How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.
Family Friendliness
Family friendliness55/100
Education67/100
Green space42/100
Overall safety45/100
Medellín scores moderate for family living (55/100).
Digital Nomad Suitability
Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.
Digital Nomad Suitability
Digital nomad suitability65/100
Walkability79/100
Cycling58/100
Infrastructure65/100
Medellín is moderate for remote workers (65/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.
Retirement Suitability
Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.
Retirement Suitability
Retirement suitability57/100
Healthcare61/100
Cleanliness50/100
Outdoor lifestyle21/100
Medellín is moderate for retirement (57/100), appealing for affordability.
Emergency and public safety in Medellín
Local public safety guidance for Medellín, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.
For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Medellín, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Colombia emergency profile, which currently lists no verified national contacts.
Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.
Healthcare and hospitals in Medellín
Healthcare context for Medellín, with national-level information from Colombia where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.
For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Medellín, see the Colombia healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.
Transport and mobility in Medellín
Local mobility context for Medellín, with national-level context from Colombia where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.
For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Medellín, see the Colombia transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.
Air quality dataset
Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Medellín. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.
Air quality dataset for Medellín
Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025
Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location
Source-attributed values for Medellín will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.
| Metric | Value | Data year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location. | ||
Data provenance
Source attributionGlobal City Intelligence — air-quality dataset
Verified data unavailable- Publisher
- Global City Intelligence
- Last verified
- 2026-05-16
The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).
Methodology and context
Numeric measurements appear in this section only after they are sourced from accepted official publishers. The dataset is independently validated at build time; malformed records cannot ship to production.
- Scoring methodology — how indicators across the platform are constructed.
- Data sources registry — the official sources cited by verified datasets.
- Open the Medellín air-quality module
- Browse the clean-air city collection
Quick answers
Quick, evidence-based answers about Medellín drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.
Quick answers about Medellín
Is Medellín worth visiting?
Yes — good quality of life (56/100) and a regional center economy.
Is Medellín good for families?
Good (55/100) on safety, schools and green space.
Is Medellín affordable?
More affordable than average; about COL$2,990,000/month for one person (estimate).
When is the best time to visit Medellín?
Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.
What are Medellín's main industries?
Mainly manufacturing, tourism, logistics.
What is the climate in Medellín?
A tropical climate, averaging about 26.7°C.
Does Medellín have universities?
Higher education is good (60/100).
What is healthcare like in Medellín?
Healthcare access is good (57/100).
Is Medellín good for retirement?
Retirement suitability is good (59/100).
What nature is near Medellín?
No major nature destinations are indexed within day-trip range.
Explore Medellín modules
City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.
Cost of Living in Medellín
Medellín's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality in Medellín
Medellín's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy in Medellín
Medellín's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety in Medellín
Medellín's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed in Medellín
Medellín's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk in Medellín
Medellín's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
City rankings
Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.
Cost of living in Medellín
Cost of living estimates for Medellín — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.
Climate in Medellín
Climate profile for Medellín — Tropical climate, annual average 26.7°C, comfort score 59/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.
Economy and jobs in Medellín
Economy and jobs profile for Medellín — regional center, economy score 58/100, key industries including manufacturing, tourism, logistics. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.
Universities and education in Medellín
Education profile for Medellín — regional education center, education score 58/100, 6 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.
Healthcare and retirement in Medellín
Healthcare and retirement profile for Medellín — mixed healthcare profile, healthcare score 57/100, retirement score 59/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.
Estimate a monthly budget for Medellín
Estimate a monthly budget for Medellín using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.
Plan a trip budget for Medellín
Plan a trip budget for Medellín using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.
Nearby cities from Medellín
Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Medellín. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.
Bogotá, Colombia
Same region · about 246 km from Medellín. Explore Bogotá's city intelligence profile.
Panama City, Panama
Cross-border · about 532 km from Medellín. Explore Panama City's city intelligence profile.
Quito, Ecuador
Cross-border · about 790 km from Medellín. Explore Quito's city intelligence profile.
San José, Costa Rica
Cross-border · about 1022 km from Medellín. Explore San José's city intelligence profile.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Cross-border · about 1489 km from Medellín. Explore Santo Domingo's city intelligence profile.
Medellín FAQ
Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Medellín, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.
Frequently asked questions about Medellín
Is Medellín worth visiting?
Medellín has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (56/100) across our combined indicators. Visitors can also reach nature such as nearby parks and countryside within weekend range.
What is it like to live in Medellín?
Medellín has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (56/100) across our combined indicators. It indexes 56/100 for overall quality of life.
How much does it cost to live in Medellín?
A single resident of Medellín spends roughly COL$2,990,000 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near COL$1,590,000. Overall the city is more affordable than average for Colombia. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.
What should I know about moving to Medellín?
Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Medellín is moderate for remote workers (65/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.
What is the job market like in Medellín?
Medellín's labour market is moderate, with opportunities concentrated in manufacturing, tourism and hospitality and technology. Medellín has a regional economy with strengths in manufacturing, tourism and logistics.
Is Medellín good for digital nomads and remote work?
Medellín offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 58/100.
What are the education options in Medellín?
Medellín is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Social Sciences, Engineering and Economics.
Is Medellín a good place to study?
Medellín offers a strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods and relatively affordable living.
What is healthcare like in Medellín?
Medellín has a mixed healthcare profile, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 57/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.
Is Medellín a good place to retire?
Medellín offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 59/100. Residents benefit from walkable streets and day-to-day services.
What is the climate like in Medellín?
Medellín has a tropical climate, averaging about 26.7°C annually with roughly 1501 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Feb.
Is Medellín a safe place to live?
Medellín scores below average for safety in our index (45/100); research neighborhoods and take standard precautions.
How easy is it to get around Medellín?
Medellín indexes a walkability score of 79 and a cycling score of 58 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.
What nature and outdoor places are near Medellín?
Medellín has limited indexed nature destinations within day-trip range.
Is Medellín good for families?
Medellín scores moderate for family living (55/100).
What outdoor activities are there around Medellín?
Medellín rates 21/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 42/100 for green space.
Interpretation
Use the Medellín profile to compare cost framing, transport access, and country-level context alongside Bogotá and other Andean metros. Its standout dimensions are cost of living (78/100) and safety (68/100). The area most worth watching is air quality (60/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.
Country context is available on the Colombia country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Medellín appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Sources
4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
- UN-Habitat: World Cities Report 2024
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
- NASA: NASA POWER
Used as an energy-resource and weather-normalization reference.
- World Health Organization: WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines
Used to normalize air-quality indicators toward health-protective benchmarks.
- IPCC: AR6 WGII Chapter 6: Cities, settlements and key infrastructure
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.