Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,945 in Bilbao versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,794 in Bilbao versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 88% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 45% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.55

$5.92 COP 21.5K

187.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.3

$32.75 COP 119.1K

112.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.78

$7.20 COP 26.2K

59.03%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.06

$1.70 COP 6,186

41.76%

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

$3.02 €2.58

$1.10 COP 3,996

174.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.72 COP 2,625

181.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 €3.15

$1.67 COP 6,067

120.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.31

$3.10 COP 11.3K

24.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.06 COP 3,837

16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.25 COP 4,531

17.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.39 COP 5,060

18.71%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.50

$2.26 COP 8,229

29.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.46

$4.33 COP 15.8K

263.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 €7.49

$5.84 COP 21.2K

50.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 €11.59

$8.83 COP 32.1K

53.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.25

$2.24 COP 8,159

17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$1.08 COP 3,911

119.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.53 COP 5,563

60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$1.37 COP 4,987

71.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.13 COP 4,109

52.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.96

$1.12 COP 4,067

105.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$0.85 COP 3,080

74.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.91 COP 3,305

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €5.98

$2.33 COP 8,477

200.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.21

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-24.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.19 COP 4,342

12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.22

$2.37 COP 8,617

9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.79 COP 2,859

150.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.12 €41.95

$41.13 COP 149.6K

19.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 €4.75

$1.44 COP 5,223

286.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.91 COP 6,952

-49.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 €28.40

$8.02 COP 29.2K

314.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.94 COP 3,410

85.11%

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

$39.0K €33.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

117.63%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

21.05%

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

$153 €131

$84.0 COP 305.4K

82.73%

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

$21.52 €18.38

$9.60 COP 34.9K

124.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 €29.08

$24.16 COP 87.9K

40.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €49.35

$25.88 COP 94.1K

123.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 €8.49

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-47.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.54

$3.92 COP 14.2K

155.10%

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

$543 €463

$306 COP 1.1M

77.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,023 €7,706

$5,919 COP 21.5M

52.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.1

$57.9 COP 210.6K

45.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 €30.46

$31.82 COP 115.7K

12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €70.2

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.3

$107 COP 389.7K

5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €915

$487 COP 1.8M

120.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 €822

$368 COP 1.3M

161.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,532

$826 COP 3.0M

117.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,159

$716 COP 2.6M

89.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 €5,101

$2,925 COP 10.6M

104.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,752 €3,204

$1,407 COP 5.1M

166.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,413 €2,061

$546 COP 2.0M

342.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

13.43

-74.83%

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

Last update for Bilbao: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Bilbao and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 342% 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $190 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

Bilbao vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Medellin differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,945 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 342% 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: $1,071 in Bilbao versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $543 in Bilbao versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,945 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. 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, Bilbao 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 88% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.