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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,658 per month in Cortona vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,523 per month in Cortona vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Cortona vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Cortona costs about 61% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cortona sits 24% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 €11.73

$5.92 COP 21.3K

133.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 €62.8

$33.17 COP 119.5K

123.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.81

$7.25 COP 26.1K

59.31%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.50

$1.71 COP 6,176

3.51%

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

$2.49 €2.12

$1.09 COP 3,940

128.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.77 COP 2,760

66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €4.87

$1.75 COP 6,294

228.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.44

$3.18 COP 11.5K

64.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.06 COP 3,816

65.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.84

$1.30 COP 4,687

66.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.50

$1.38 COP 4,958

113.77%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.83

$2.21 COP 7,958

104.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.54 €14.90

$4.52 COP 16.3K

288.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 €10.27

$5.80 COP 20.9K

108.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 €17.32

$8.97 COP 32.3K

127.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.05

$2.29 COP 8,235

5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €1.98

$1.06 COP 3,815

119.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.51 COP 5,446

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$1.36 COP 4,900

98.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.47

$1.16 COP 4,172

49.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.56

$1.17 COP 4,201

57.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.07

$0.83 COP 2,979

51.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$0.85 COP 3,063

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €5.85

$2.35 COP 8,477

193.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.29

$11.09 COP 39.9K

-22.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.15 COP 4,159

60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.33

$2.47 COP 8,910

10.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.50

$0.79 COP 2,845

124.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.95 €37.31

$41.85 COP 150.7K

5.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 €4.56

$1.44 COP 5,173

272.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.24

$1.90 COP 6,836

-23.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.78 €29.53

$7.70 COP 27.7K

351.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.65

$1.03 COP 3,704

89.32%

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

$29.2K €24.8K

$17.7K COP 63.7M

64.93%

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

$29.4K €25.0K

$27.0K COP 97.3M

8.85%

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

$226 €192

$81.4 COP 293.2K

177.16%

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

$11.07 €9.40

$9.42 COP 33.9K

17.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.56 €26.80

$23.77 COP 85.6K

32.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €45.75

$25.86 COP 93.2K

108.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 €19.36

$19.34 COP 69.7K

17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 €9.98

$4.05 COP 14.6K

190.37%

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

$290 €246

$312 COP 1.1M

-7.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,907

$6,067 COP 21.9M

72.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 €62.4

$58.9 COP 212.0K

24.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 €30.09

$32.82 COP 118.2K

7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 €71.9

$100 COP 361.9K

-15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €102

$106 COP 382.8K

13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 €641

$490 COP 1.8M

54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 €497

$371 COP 1.3M

57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,011

$838 COP 3.0M

42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €801

$715 COP 2.6M

31.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,422 €2,056

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-17.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 €2,319

$532 COP 1.9M

413.49%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $755 in Cortona versus $490 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 413% 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 $74 in Cortona versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 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: $1,658 in Cortona, $1,030 in Medellin – roughly 61% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,487 per month in Cortona and $1,544 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 5% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $290 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 $1,030, than in Cortona at $1,658. 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 $1,030 in Medellin to $1,658 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.