Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Catania and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Catania and in Medellin: $1,561 and $1,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

Catania
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,561
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Catania and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Catania and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Catania versus $1,625 in Medellin.

  • Catania $1,561
  • Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,390 in Catania versus $2,412 in Medellin.

  • Catania $2,390
  • Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,219 in Catania versus $3,199 in Medellin.

  • Catania $3,219
  • Medellin $3,199

Living in Catania costs roughly 4% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Catania 15% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.12 €15.23
$8.30 COP 26.3K
106.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.8 €49.62
$46.91 COP 148.7K
18.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.11 €9.88
$9.24 COP 29.3K
20.24%
Cappuccino
$2.10 €1.86
$3.05 COP 9,676
-31.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 €2.58
$1.80 COP 5,707
61.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.38 COP 4,382
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.70 €5.96
$3.24 COP 10.3K
106.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09 €3.64
$5.56 COP 17.6K
-26.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.50 COP 4,760
-12.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.59 €1.41
$2.37 COP 7,508
-32.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.68 €2.39
$1.70 COP 5,377
57.65%
Eggs
$3.41 €3.03
$2.96 COP 9,379
15.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.37 €10.12
$10.22 COP 32.4K
11.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.04 €10.71
$9.74 COP 30.9K
23.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.66 €13.93
$13.90 COP 44.1K
12.66%
Apples (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-51.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.53 COP 4,839
9.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.22 COP 7,052
-37.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.66 €2.37
$2.27 COP 7,194
17.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 €1.56
$1.99 COP 6,311
-11.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.67 COP 5,285
-21.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 €1.09
$1.18 COP 3,742
4.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 €0.42
$1.24 COP 3,919
-62.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.57 €5.84
$3.87 COP 12.3K
69.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.02
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-42.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.66 COP 5,256
5.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.40 COP 7,615
-36.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Catania
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 €1.43
$1.24 COP 3,944
29.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.97 €32.89
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-52.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 €3.95
$1.28 COP 4,044
246.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.15 COP 6,803
-48.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.19 €19.74
$8.37 COP 26.5K
165.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.35 COP 4,288
57.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.7K €32.6K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
5.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K €32.9K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
6.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 €280
$167 COP 528.4K
89.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.58 €9.41
$13.62 COP 43.2K
-22.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.75 €30.91
$29.12 COP 92.3K
19.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 €53.4
$45.09 COP 143.0K
33.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.53 €12.92
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-15.42%
Cinema Ticket
$9.16 €8.15
$6.97 COP 22.1K
31.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$447 €397
$790 COP 2.5M
-43.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,707 €5,966
$9,041 COP 28.7M
-25.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.8 €76.3
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-2.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.89 €30.15
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-41.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.2 €78.4
$139 COP 440.7K
-36.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €114
$98.9 COP 313.5K
29.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Catania
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$607 €539
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-41.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 €339
$620 COP 2.0M
-38.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,153 €1,026
$1,881 COP 6.0M
-38.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$783 €696
$1,008 COP 3.2M
-22.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,254 €2,005
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-43.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,522 €1,354
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-10.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Catania
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,763 €1,568
$663 COP 2.1M
165.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.55
10.94
-67.55%

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

Last update for Catania: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Catania
$381
Medellin
$619 62.4% $238
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Catania
$361
Medellin
$209 41.9% $151
Groceries & Markets
Catania
$280
Medellin
$298 6.6% $18
Eating Out
Catania
$257
Medellin
$171 33.5% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Catania
$151
Medellin
$173 14.3% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Catania
$78
Medellin
$59 24.6% $19
Getting Around
Catania
$53
Medellin
$95 78.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Catania and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Catania pays 166% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Catania vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $298, with Catania cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Catania
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
14:31 2:31 PM
07:31 7:31 AM
7 h behind Catania
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
298,037
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Catania Medellin 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Catania
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Catania vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Catania?
Catania is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Catania or Medellin?
Average pay runs 166% higher in Catania, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Catania and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Catania versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Catania and in Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Catania versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 112% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Catania or in Medellin?
At $1,561 in Catania versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Catania but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Catania the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Catania or Medellin more family-friendly?
For families, Catania is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Catania vs other spots: cost of living compared

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