Cost of Living Comparison Between Cantù and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cantù and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Cantù versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,634 in Cantù versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,534 in Cantù versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cantù is roughly 71% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cantù is 29% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.13

$5.99 COP 21.4K

193.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €70.3

$32.86 COP 117.4K

148.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.86

$7.09 COP 25.3K

61.64%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.65

$1.71 COP 6,115

12.28%

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

$2.88 €2.47

$1.10 COP 3,924

161.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.78 COP 2,781

74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.09

$1.68 COP 5,997

251.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.84

$3.07 COP 11.0K

83.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.09 COP 3,906

52.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.26 COP 4,508

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.07

$1.38 COP 4,922

157.97%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.43

$2.19 COP 7,827

81.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.88 €13.66

$4.40 COP 15.7K

260.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$5.63 COP 20.1K

140.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.67

$8.89 COP 31.8K

104.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.34 COP 8,349

17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.06 COP 3,777

63.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.50 COP 5,374

64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$1.38 COP 4,924

107.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.15 COP 4,111

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.16 COP 4,155

53.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.89 COP 3,182

52.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.84 COP 2,997

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.02

$2.28 COP 8,145

207.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 €4.08

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.20 COP 4,284

74.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.29

$2.47 COP 8,824

8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$0.86 COP 3,056

96.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.95 €36.95

$41.40 COP 147.9K

3.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €2.94

$1.47 COP 5,264

132.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.96 COP 7,009

3.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €48.90

$7.74 COP 27.6K

634.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.95 COP 3,409

122.11%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

57.17%

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

$32.6K €28.1K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

23.25%

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

$244 €210

$82.3 COP 293.7K

196.53%

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

$15.29 €13.15

$9.50 COP 33.9K

60.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.29 €26.06

$24.23 COP 86.5K

25.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.69

$25.89 COP 92.4K

109.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.84 €19.65

$19.00 COP 67.9K

20.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 €10.28

$3.93 COP 14.0K

204.07%

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

$751 €646

$309 COP 1.1M

142.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,103 €3,530

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-31.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €80.3

$58.7 COP 209.5K

59.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 €34.89

$32.35 COP 115.5K

25.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$103 COP 366.4K

5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$108 COP 387.2K

28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 €648

$476 COP 1.7M

58.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 €492

$379 COP 1.4M

51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,052

$838 COP 3.0M

45.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 €809

$724 COP 2.6M

29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,547 €2,191

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-8.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,133 €1,835

$1,211 COP 4.3M

76.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,952 €2,539

$512 COP 1.8M

476.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

13.43

-65.15%

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

Last update for Cantù: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Cantù and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 477% 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: $82.0 in Cantù vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 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

Cantù vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cantù and Medellin differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,733 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cantù pays 477% 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: $753 in Cantù versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $751 in Cantù 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 71% higher in Cantù. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,733 in Cantù, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cantù. 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, Cantù 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 71% less than in Cantù. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.