Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,819 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,526 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Alcala de Henares is roughly 80% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala de Henares is 36% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.78

$5.99 COP 21.4K

186.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.9

$32.86 COP 117.4K

111.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.89

$7.09 COP 25.3K

45.70%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.15

$1.71 COP 6,115

46.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.78

$1.10 COP 3,924

193.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.78 COP 2,781

162.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 €3.51

$1.68 COP 5,997

143.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.07 COP 11.0K

50.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.09 COP 3,906

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.26 COP 4,508

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.38 COP 4,922

18.84%

Eggs

$2.69 €2.31

$2.19 COP 7,827

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.48 €19.34

$4.40 COP 15.7K

410.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 €7.93

$5.63 COP 20.1K

63.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 €14.68

$8.89 COP 31.8K

91.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.34 COP 8,349

17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.06 COP 3,777

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.50 COP 5,374

35.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.38 COP 4,924

92.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.15 COP 4,111

57.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.16 COP 4,155

76.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.89 COP 3,182

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.80

$0.84 COP 2,997

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 €5.58

$2.28 COP 8,145

184.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.19

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.20 COP 4,284

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.47 COP 8,824

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.86 COP 3,056

125.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.30 €40.69

$41.40 COP 147.9K

14.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 €3.50

$1.47 COP 5,264

176.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.96 COP 7,009

-30.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.60 €20.30

$7.74 COP 27.6K

204.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$0.95 COP 3,409

96.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.9K €31.7K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

103.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.7K €25.6K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

12.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$127 €109

$82.3 COP 293.7K

54.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.43 €18.43

$9.50 COP 33.9K

125.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 €27.70

$24.23 COP 86.5K

32.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 €36.45

$25.89 COP 92.4K

63.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 €9.93

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-39.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €8.90

$3.93 COP 14.0K

163.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$264 €227

$309 COP 1.1M

-14.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 €6,022

$5,965 COP 21.3M

17.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 €75.1

$58.7 COP 209.5K

48.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 €32.34

$32.35 COP 115.5K

16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 €70.0

$103 COP 366.4K

-20.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 €74.5

$108 COP 387.2K

-20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 €770

$476 COP 1.7M

88.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €696

$379 COP 1.4M

113.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 €1,609

$838 COP 3.0M

123.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,000

$724 COP 2.6M

60.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,419 €3,801

$2,791 COP 10.0M

58.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,583 €3,082

$1,211 COP 4.3M

195.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,819 €1,565

$512 COP 1.8M

255.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

13.43

-75.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alcala de Henares: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $895 in Alcala de Henares and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alcala de Henares pays 255% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Alcala de Henares vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alcala de Henares vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala de Henares and Medellin differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,819 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Alcala de Henares pays 255% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $895 in Alcala de Henares versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $264 in Alcala de Henares versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Alcala de Henares. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,819 in Alcala de Henares, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alcala de Henares. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alcala de Henares and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Alcala de Henares. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.