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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,717 per month in Cortona vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,603 per month in Cortona vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Cortona vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Cortona costs about 69% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cortona sits 28% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 €11.95

$5.95 COP 20.8K

133.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 €64.6

$33.33 COP 116.3K

124.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.10

$7.23 COP 25.2K

62.10%

Cappuccino

$1.81 €1.56

$1.63 COP 5,687

11.04%

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

$2.41 €2.08

$1.09 COP 3,821

121.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.73 COP 2,548

69.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.01

$1.74 COP 6,065

233.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.36

$3.23 COP 11.3K

56.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.05 COP 3,662

68.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.29 COP 4,515

69.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.32 COP 4,617

125.76%

Eggs

$4.41 €3.80

$2.27 COP 7,927

94.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 €14.97

$4.35 COP 15.2K

299.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 €10.02

$5.88 COP 20.5K

97.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.05 €17.27

$8.61 COP 30.0K

132.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$2.25 COP 7,844

8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.07 COP 3,733

112.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.52 COP 5,322

30.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$1.42 COP 4,964

82.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.17 COP 4,084

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.17 COP 4,077

58.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.89 COP 3,096

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$0.90 COP 3,146

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.25 COP 7,837

201.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 €7.35

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-22.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.14 COP 3,977

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.38 COP 8,301

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.84 COP 2,916

109.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.72 €37.67

$41.95 COP 146.4K

4.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 €4.55

$1.41 COP 4,912

274.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.90 COP 6,634

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.13 €29.41

$7.75 COP 27.0K

340.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.01 COP 3,509

91.09%

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

$28.7K €24.7K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

63.03%

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

$29.8K €25.7K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

12.60%

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

$221 €191

$83.7 COP 292.1K

164.45%

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

$11.15 €9.60

$9.45 COP 33.0K

17.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 €26.40

$24.11 COP 84.1K

27.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 €46.72

$25.31 COP 88.3K

114.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.36 €20.13

$19.14 COP 66.8K

22.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.54 €9.94

$4.10 COP 14.3K

181.46%

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

$292 €252

$312 COP 1.1M

-6.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,280

$5,993 COP 20.9M

79.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 €64.3

$58.0 COP 202.6K

28.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.14 €30.28

$32.56 COP 113.6K

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €74.7

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-12.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$109 COP 378.8K

11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 €648

$482 COP 1.7M

55.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 €500

$379 COP 1.3M

53.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 €1,047

$837 COP 2.9M

45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €805

$723 COP 2.5M

29.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 €2,055

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-16.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,921 €2,517

$1,223 COP 4.3M

138.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 €2,778

$541 COP 1.9M

496.12%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $752 in Cortona versus $482 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 496% 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: $338 vs $190 – 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: $1,717 in Cortona, $1,017 in Medellin – roughly 69% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,576 per month in Cortona and $1,525 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 4% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $292 per month in Cortona and $312 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 $1,017, than in Cortona at $1,717. 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 $1,017 in Medellin to $1,717 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.