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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,709 per month in Cortona vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,560 per month in Cortona vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,411 per month in Cortona vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Cortona costs about 70% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cortona sits 28% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 €12.09

$5.91 COP 19.1K

135.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 €65.3

$32.96 COP 106.5K

128.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.08

$7.43 COP 24.0K

56.12%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.52

$1.65 COP 5,343

6.06%

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

$2.53 €2.20

$1.10 COP 3,559

130.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$0.78 COP 2,523

61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.10

$1.72 COP 5,553

241.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 €4.41

$3.18 COP 10.3K

59.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.10 COP 3,565

53.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.87

$1.26 COP 4,066

70.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.38 COP 4,463

125.36%

Eggs

$4.56 €3.96

$2.18 COP 7,038

109.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 €15.07

$4.49 COP 14.5K

286.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 €10.37

$5.79 COP 18.7K

106.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.44 €17.76

$8.97 COP 29.0K

127.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.32 COP 7,499

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.06 COP 3,440

112.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.52 COP 4,899

32.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.32

$1.36 COP 4,381

96.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.13 COP 3,645

59.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.17 COP 3,785

58.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.90 COP 2,912

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.90 COP 2,897

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.06

$2.23 COP 7,218

212.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 €8.99

$12.12 COP 39.2K

-14.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.19 COP 3,841

54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.41

$2.48 COP 8,020

12.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.85 COP 2,758

107.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.78 €37.17

$41.62 COP 134.5K

2.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.58

$1.42 COP 4,575

271.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.95 COP 6,302

-27.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €29.62

$7.89 COP 25.5K

332.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.99 COP 3,200

94.95%

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

$28.8K €25.0K

$17.6K COP 56.9M

63.50%

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

$29.3K €25.4K

$26.8K COP 86.6M

9.23%

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

$219 €190

$83.0 COP 268.2K

163.93%

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

$10.80 €9.38

$9.70 COP 31.3K

11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.54 €26.54

$23.52 COP 76.0K

29.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 €47.89

$25.26 COP 81.6K

118.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.11 €20.08

$19.10 COP 61.7K

20.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 €10.12

$3.95 COP 12.8K

194.94%

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

$288 €250

$316 COP 1.0M

-8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,259

$5,975 COP 19.3M

78.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €65.1

$60.0 COP 193.8K

24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.38 €29.87

$31.82 COP 102.8K

8.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 €74.1

$102 COP 328.5K

-16.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$107 COP 347.2K

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €663

$475 COP 1.5M

60.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €510

$374 COP 1.2M

56.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,043

$849 COP 2.7M

41.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €798

$719 COP 2.3M

27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,050

$3,265 COP 10.5M

-27.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 €2,472

$1,441 COP 4.7M

97.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 €2,801

$624 COP 2.0M

416.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

13.43

-70.59%

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

Last update for Cortona: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Cortona versus $475 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 416% 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 $75.0 in Cortona versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $193 – 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: $1,709 in Cortona, $1,003 in Medellin – roughly 70% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,564 per month in Cortona and $1,504 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.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $288 per month in Cortona and $316 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Cortona at $1,709. 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 $1,003 in Medellin to $1,709 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.