Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Cortona vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,798 per month in Cortona vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,761 per month in Cortona vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Cortona costs about 9% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cortona and Medellin sit above the global median – Cortona by 34%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.72 €18.05

$8.02 COP 25.3K

158.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 €71.0

$47.87 COP 151.0K

70.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 €10.08

$9.89 COP 31.2K

16.99%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.78

$3.13 COP 9,873

-34.50%

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

$3.47 €3.03

$1.91 COP 6,019

81.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.51 COP 4,763

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.06

$3.12 COP 9,853

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 €4.27

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.44 COP 4,558

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.89

$2.49 COP 7,843

-12.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 €2.90

$1.77 COP 5,595

88.14%

Eggs

$5.60 €4.88

$2.96 COP 9,336

89.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.45 €24.78

$10.07 COP 31.8K

182.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 €14.42

$10.12 COP 31.9K

63.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.78 €22.46

$14.30 COP 45.1K

80.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 €2.74

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-23.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.61 COP 5,073

36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €2.99

$2.25 COP 7,083

52.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.90

$2.25 COP 7,104

48.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 €2.82

$2.04 COP 6,444

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.95

$1.54 COP 4,842

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.17 COP 3,691

65.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.31 COP 4,121

-30.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 €7.18

$3.90 COP 12.3K

111.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 €7.48

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-38.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.25

$1.74 COP 5,498

48.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 €3.52

$2.87 COP 9,053

40.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.09

$1.31 COP 4,129

345.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.00

$2.19 COP 6,899

5.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 €10.68

$8.71 COP 27.5K

40.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.37 COP 4,306

49.64%

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

$37.4K €32.6K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

34.33%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

1.74%

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

$351 €306

$177 COP 559.3K

98.12%

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

$12.57 €10.95

$13.88 COP 43.8K

-9.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 €38.40

$29.72 COP 93.8K

48.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.57 €24.89

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-36.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 €10.26

$17.12 COP 54.0K

-31.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 €10.00

$6.65 COP 21.0K

72.63%

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

$659 €574

$813 COP 2.6M

-18.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,143 €7,966

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-0.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.6

$89.5 COP 282.3K

14.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.3 €68.2

$59.0 COP 186.0K

32.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €79.0

$138 COP 435.9K

-34.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 €176

$102 COP 322.1K

97.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 €763

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 €369

$663 COP 2.1M

-36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,338

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-18.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 €550

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-38.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,361 €2,057

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-43.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,892 €2,519

$1,675 COP 5.3M

72.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,279 €2,856

$678 COP 2.1M

383.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

10.94

-66.18%

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

Last update for Cortona: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $875 in Cortona versus $1,062 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 384% higher in Cortona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Cortona versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $305 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cortona vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Cortona, $1,681 in Medellin – roughly 9% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,752 per month in Cortona and $2,521 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Cortona and $1,681 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $659 per month in Cortona and $813 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Cortona at $1,835. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cortona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,681 in Medellin to $1,835 in Cortona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cortona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.