In 2019, we surveyed 750 furnished apartments in six popular neighborhoods in Medellín for expats to find out the current furnished apartment rental costs in the city.

I have been living in Medellín for over eight years and I have lived in six different barrios in the city. And I have frequently been asked by foreigners about the furnished apartment rental costs in Medellín.

With my Colombian wife’s help, over the past few weeks we surveyed 750 available furnished apartments in Medellín to find out what are the current furnished apartment rental costs in Medellín.

There are two main websites to find furnished apartment rentals in Medellín:

• Airbnb – has over 1,000 furnished apartments listed in Medellín plus thousands of additional furnished apartments listed in other cities in Colombia. So, it has by far the biggest selection.
• Nestpick – has hundreds of furnished apartments listed in Medellín plus additional furnished apartments listed in other cities in Colombia.

In addition, some real estate companies have furnished apartments available. Also, some local Colombian real estate companies may have furnished apartments available and they tend to list their apartments in Airbnb.

Our Medellín Furnished Apartment Rental Costs Survey Methodology

We only looked in the five of the most popular neighborhoods for expats in Medellín: El Poblado, Envigado, Laureles-Estadio, Sabaneta and Belén and we also included La Candelaria (El Centro), which is popular with some expats visiting the city.

By neighborhoods in the article we are referring to separate municipalities (Envigado and Sabaneta) and comunas in Medellín (El Poblado, Laureles-Estadio, Belén and La Candelaria).

In this survey, we only included furnished apartments with at least hot water, Wi-Fi Internet plus TV services as amenities. Also, we didn’t include any apartments that are larger than four bedrooms.

Note there is a wide range of costs for furnished apartment rentals in Medellín. Costs vary depending in location, size, number of bedrooms and amenities. There are several luxury apartments available as well as many more economical apartments with fewer amenities.

Furthermore, we didn’t include apartments listed on Airbnb in our survey if they did not have any positive ratings or any with less than three positive ratings, as these are considered riskier to rent. Also, some apartments are listed on multiple sites. So, we included apartments listed on multiple sites only once in our survey.

In addition, the pricing for furnished apartments tends to increase in Medellín during popular times of the year such as Feria de las Flores (the Medellín flower festival), Christmas and New Year’s. We only used the low-season rental prices in our survey.

Most of the furnished apartment rental prices we surveyed were priced in U.S. dollars (USD). But for those priced in Colombian pesos (COP) we converted using the exchange rate of 3,158 pesos to the USD.

Our Furnished Apartment Survey Findings

We surveyed a total of 750 furnished apartments with the majority (57 percent) located in El Poblado:

• El Poblado – 429 apartments
• Laureles-Estadio – 148 apartments
• Sabaneta – 53 apartments
• Envigado – 45 apartments
• Belén – 38 apartments
• La Candelaria (El Centro) – 37 apartments

The majority of the furnished apartment rentals we surveyed have a minimum rental period of only 1-3 days. But nearly 30 percent of the furnished apartments we surveyed have a minimum rental period of 30 days.

Most furnished apartments have both daily and monthly rates. And the monthly rate usually reflects a discount to the daily rate. Over 80 percent of the furnished apartments we surveyed offer a discount for monthly rates compared to daily rates.

The discounts for the monthly rate ranged from 1.3 percent up to 59 percent compared to the daily rate. The average discount for those providing monthly discounts was 21.1 percent.

In addition, many furnished apartment rentals in Medellín require a security deposit; over 60 percent of the apartments we surveyed required a security deposit. The security deposit charges ranged from $100 to $500 and averaged $215.

Also, most furnished apartment rentals in Medellín require a cleaning fee. And 88 percent of the 750 apartments we surveyed had a cleaning fee listed. The cleaning fees ranged from $5 to $99 and averaged $28.

In our below 2019 furnished apartment rental costs survey results, we didn’t include any security deposits or cleaning fee.

Apartment buildings near Santafé mall in El Poblado, Medellín

1. El Poblado – 2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs 

El Poblado is the most popular neighborhood for foreigners living in or visiting Medellín. Also, El Poblado is the most upscale neighborhood in the city.  In addition, El Poblado is where the most hotels and furnished apartments catering to foreigners are located.

El Poblado is primarily an Estrato 6 neighborhood with about 74 percent of the households rated at estrato 6. Also, it’s where the most expensive real estate and most expensive apartment rentals in the city tend to be located.

I lived for over a month over eight years ago in a furnished apartment in El Poblado during an early trial of living in Medellín. It didn’t take me long to determine that El Poblado wasn’t for me. I prefer to live in a neighborhood that has a lower cost of living and isn’t as westernized.

Here are the results of our 2019 survey of 429 furnished apartment rentals in El Poblado:

• 200 apartments were 1-bedroom or studios rents ranging from $24.83 to $160 per day or $634 to $3,360 per month
• 143 apartments were 2-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $27 to $500 per day or $729 to $10,500 per month.
• 67 apartments were 3-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $34 to $360 per day or $918 to $9,002 per month.
• 19 apartments were 4-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $66.40 to $620 per day or $1,821 to $15,302 per month.

The following are the average rental prices for the furnished apartments in El Poblado based on our survey:

2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in El Poblado

Apartment buildings in Laureles, Medellín

2. Laureles-Estadio – 2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs

Laureles-Estadio is another popular neighborhood for foreigners living in Medellín. It has many areas with tree-lined streets and much fewer high-rise apartments than are found in El Poblado. Also, Laureles is primarily a residential neighborhood.

In our survey we found that Laureles-Estadio has many more furnished apartments available than in Envigado. Laureles-Estadio is primarily an estrato 4 and 5 neighborhood with 99 percent of the households rated at estrato 4 or 5.

Here are the results of our 2019 survey of 148 furnished apartment rentals in Laureles-Estadio:

• 94 apartments were 1-bedroom or studios with rents ranging from $15 to $65 per day and $386 to $1,755 per month.
• 31 apartments were 2-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from with rents ranging from $26.23 to $102 per day and $590 to $2,012 per month.
• 21 apartments were 3-bedroom apartment with rents ranging from $31.13 to $103 per day and $760 to $2,443 per month.
• 2 apartments were 4-bedroom apartments with rents of $41.27 and $51.70 per day and $1,052 and $1,431 per month.

The following are the average rental prices for furnished apartments in Laureles-Estadio based on our survey:

2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in Laureles-Estadio

Apartment buildings in Sabaneta

3. Sabaneta – 2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs

Sabaneta is located directly south of Envigado. Sabaneta is a separate municipality from Medellín. Sabaneta has been booming with developers building many apartment buildings over the past several years. With all the new apartment buildings in the area there are many rentals available.

In addition, Sabaneta has become increasingly popular with foreigners looking for an alternative. Furnished rentals in Sabaneta can be much cheaper than El Poblado and Envigado.

In addition, Sabaneta is more of a working-class community like Belén. 98 percent of the housing in Sabaneta is estrato 2 to 4. And only 2 percent is estrato 1, 5 or 6.

I currently live in Sabaneta. Since I have lived in Sabaneta for over three years I hear English more and more around town as more foreigners discover the area.

Here are the results of our 2019 survey of 53 furnished apartment rentals in Sabaneta:

• 15 apartments surveyed were 1-bedroom or studios with rents ranging from $19.80 to $48.86 per day or $545 to $1,071 per month.
• 18 apartments were 2-bedroom apartments rents ranging from $24.00 to $77.50 per day or $544 to $2,324 per month.
• 20 apartments were 3-bedroom apartment rents ranging from $22.70 to $83.67 per day or $622 to $2,510 per month.

The following are the average rental prices for the furnished apartments in Sabaneta based on our survey:

2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in Sabaneta

4. Envigado Apartments – 2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs

Envigado is a popular neighborhood for foreigners living in Medellín. Most notably, Envigado is less commercial than El Poblado and it is located directly south of El Poblado.

Envigado has many areas with tree-lined streets and it has fewer high-rise apartments than are found in El Poblado. In addition, Envigado is considered to be more of a working-class community. In Envigado, 96 percent of housing is in estrato 2 to 5 and only 4 percent is in estrato 1 or 6.

Here are the results of our 2019 survey of 45 furnished apartment rentals in Envigado:

• 10 of the apartments surveyed were 1-bedroom or studios with rents ranging from $25.83 to $65 per day or $775 to $1,755 per month.
• 9 apartments were 2-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $18.33 to $82 per month or $396 to $2,214 per month.
• 21 apartments were 3-bedroom apartment with rents ranging from $29.50 to $110 per day or $814 to 2,979 per month.
• 5 apartments were 4-bedroom apartment with rents ranging from $25.87 to $114 per day or $686 to 1,458 per month.

The following are the average rental prices for furnished apartments in Envigado based on our survey:

2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in Envigado

Apartment buildings in the Loma de los Bernal barrio in Belén

5. Belén – 2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs

Belén is a neighborhood that is slowing becoming more popular for foreigners living in Medellín. And Belén is the comuna where I lived for over four years in three different barrios (Fatima, Loma de Los Bernal and Los Alpes)

Belén is more of a working-class community with 98 percent of the housing in estrato 2 to 5 and only 2 percent in estrato 1.

Here are the results of our 2019 survey of 38 furnished apartment rentals in Belén:

• 22 the apartments surveyed were 1-bedroom or studios with rents ranging from $13.10 to $32.77 per day or $363 to $983 per month.
• 7 apartments were 2-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $26.23 to $81.97 per day or $787 to $1,451 per month.
• 7 apartments were 3-bedroom with rents ranging from $24.60 to $54.10 per day or $493 to $1,387 per month.
• 2 apartments were 4-bedroom with rents of $36.12 and $41.27 per day and $1,052 and $1,059 per month.

The following are the average rental prices for the furnished apartments in Belén based on our survey.

2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in Belén

Apartment buildings on Av. La Playa in La Candelaria

6. La Candelaria (El Centro) – 2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs

The center of Medellín is the La Candelaria comuna, which is also known as El Centro. La Candelaria has a rough reputation and can be chaotic during the day with many people. And care should be taken at night when El Centro empties out.

But there some parts of La Candelaria that should not be overlooked. For example, the area near the San Diego mall is part of La Candelaria.

I have met several expats visiting Medellín choosing to stay in La Candelaria for its central location and the lower cost of living. And there are several high-rise apartment buildings in the area with very nice views of the city.

About 93 percent of the homes in La Candelaria are rated as estrato 3, 4 or 5. And 7 percent are rated as estrato 2.

Also, there are several Medellín metro stations on Line A serving La Candelaria including Exposiciones, Alpujarra, San Antonio, Parque Berrio and Prado.

Here are the results of our 2019 survey of 38 furnished apartment rentals in La Candelaria:

• 19 of the apartments surveyed were 1-bedroom or studios with rents ranging from $16.60 to $37.20 per day or $446 to $900 per month.
• 14 apartments were 2-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $16.77 to $37.20 per day or $446 to $1,116 per month.
• 4 apartments were 3-bedroom with rents ranging from $25.90 to $77.50 per day or $554 to $2,004 per month.

The following are the average rental prices for the furnished apartments in La Candelaria (El Centro) based on our survey.

2019 Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in La Candeleria (El Centro)

Medellin Guru’s Guide to Renting Apartments and Choosing a Neighborhood

On the Medellin Guru website, we have a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to renting apartments and choosing a neighborhood in Medellín found in several articles, including:

Renting Unfurnished Apartments:

• Apartment Rental Guide: Renting Unfurnished Apartments in Medellín
• Guide to Finding Unfurnished Apartments in Medellín and Casas
• Guide to Overcoming the Fiador (Cosigner) Requirement in Colombia
• 2019 Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellín
• 6 Inexpensive Neighborhoods for Unfurnished Rentals in Medellín
• Furnishing Apartments: A Guide to Furnishing Apartments in Medellín
• Apartment vs Casa (House) Rentals in Medellín: Pros and Cons

Renting Furnished Apartments:

• Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellín – 2019 Survey Results
• Guide to Finding a Furnished Room for Rent in Medellín

Buying Apartments

• Medellín Real Estate: 2020 Property Buyer’s Guide for Foreigners
• Top 17 Mistakes Foreigners Make When Buying Real Estate in Colombia
• Current Costs to Buy New Apartments in Medellín – 2019 Update
• Rent vs Buy: Downsides of Renting and Buying Property in Medellín
• 11 Things Real Estate Agents in Colombia May Not Tell You
• How to Obtain an Investment Visa for Investments in Real Estate

Choosing a Neighborhood in Medellín:

Also, we have several articles that can be used to help foreigners choose a neighborhood in Medellín:

• What are the Safest Neighborhoods in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley?
• 5 Best Neighborhoods in Medellín: A Guide to Choosing a Neighborhood
• 8 Downsides of El Poblado: Living in Medellín’s Expensive Neighborhood
• Estratos: A Guide to Understanding Estratos in Colombia
• El Poblado vs Laureles: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• El Poblado vs Envigado: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• El  Poblado vs Sabaneta: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• El Poblado vs Belén: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• 2019 Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellín in 5 Neighborhoods Popular with Expats
• 6 Inexpensive Neighborhoods for Unfurnished Rentals in Medellín

The Bottom Line: Furnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellín – 2019 Survey

Our survey found there is a wide ranges of prices for furnished apartments in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley with both luxury and more economical furnished apartments available. In El Poblado in particular there are many luxury furnished apartments including many penthouses that tout many amenities.

On average, the furnished apartments available in El Poblado are typically more expensive to rent than in other neighborhoods in the metro area.

Our survey found that you can save substantially by renting a furnished apartment in Laureles-Estadio, Sabaneta, Envigado, Belén or La Candelaria compared to renting in El Poblado. But you may not have as many amenities, as the apartments in El Poblado tend to have more amenities.

El Poblado still has the biggest selection of furnished apartments available in the metro area. But other neighborhoods in the city are starting to have many more furnished apartments available. So, the bottom line is you now have more options available for furnished apartment rentals than in previous years. And the furnished apartment rental market in Medellín is becoming more competitive.

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