Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala la Real and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala la Real and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,634 in Alcala la Real versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Alcala la Real versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,163 in Alcala la Real versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Alcala la Real is roughly 59% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala la Real is 22% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.73

$6.16 COP 20.0K

173.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 €44.54

$32.60 COP 106.0K

56.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 €10.46

$7.34 COP 23.9K

63.08%

Cappuccino

$2.15 €1.88

$1.72 COP 5,592

25.00%

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

$1.95 €1.71

$1.05 COP 3,416

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.77 COP 2,511

105.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 €2.06

$1.69 COP 5,480

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.06

$3.17 COP 10.3K

10.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.05 COP 3,418

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.30 COP 4,230

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.40 COP 4,538

3.57%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.56

$2.16 COP 7,037

35.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 €14.06

$4.39 COP 14.3K

266.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 €8.48

$5.88 COP 19.1K

64.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 €12.25

$8.64 COP 28.1K

62.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.57

$2.28 COP 7,415

28.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.11 COP 3,599

36.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.53 COP 4,976

0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$1.35 COP 4,405

141.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.13 COP 3,669

61.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.13 COP 3,687

75.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.85 COP 2,749

62.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.91 COP 2,971

16.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €4.94

$2.34 COP 7,619

141.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 €5.53

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.20 COP 3,904

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.49 COP 8,094

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.84 COP 2,724

102.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.52 €30.16

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-14.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 €4.74

$1.42 COP 4,617

281.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.92 COP 6,227

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 €25.54

$7.66 COP 24.9K

281.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.50

$0.99 COP 3,219

72.73%

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

$38.9K €34.0K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

115.97%

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

$30.2K €26.4K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

13.46%

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

$136 €119

$80.8 COP 262.7K

67.88%

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

$20.86 €18.23

$9.95 COP 32.3K

109.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 €24.54

$24.18 COP 78.6K

16.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 €40.93

$25.08 COP 81.5K

86.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 €13.08

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-21.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.40

$3.98 COP 13.0K

112.81%

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

$407 €356

$305 COP 992.2K

33.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,845 €8,602

$6,059 COP 19.7M

62.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 €61.5

$58.1 COP 189.0K

21.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.92 €34.88

$32.20 COP 104.7K

23.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.6

$101 COP 327.5K

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$108 COP 350.3K

11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 €740

$477 COP 1.5M

77.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €601

$376 COP 1.2M

82.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,157

$845 COP 2.7M

56.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 €871

$730 COP 2.4M

36.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,649 €3,188

$3,215 COP 10.5M

13.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,065

$1,372 COP 4.5M

72.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

13.43

-73.05%

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

Last update for Alcala la Real: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $846 in Alcala la Real and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Alcala la Real vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $193 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 la Real vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala la Real and Medellin differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,634 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,451 in Alcala la Real and $1,546 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $846 in Alcala la Real versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 18% less than in Alcala la Real. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $407 in Alcala la Real versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,634 in Alcala la Real, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alcala la Real. 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 la Real 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 59% less than in Alcala la Real. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.