Cost of Living Comparison Between Cosenza and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cosenza and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,385 in Cosenza versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,200 in Cosenza versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Cosenza versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cosenza is roughly 37% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cosenza is 3% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.18

$5.99 COP 21.3K

194.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €55.0

$32.86 COP 116.9K

94.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 €9.76

$7.09 COP 25.2K

59.94%

Cappuccino

$1.63 €1.41

$1.71 COP 6,093

-4.68%

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

$2.14 €1.84

$1.10 COP 3,910

94.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.94

$0.78 COP 2,771

39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.66 €4.01

$1.68 COP 5,976

177.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.08

$3.07 COP 10.9K

54.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.09 COP 3,892

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.26 COP 4,492

36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.38 COP 4,905

97.83%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.11

$2.19 COP 7,799

65.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 €10.51

$4.40 COP 15.7K

177.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 €8.93

$5.63 COP 20.0K

84.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.37

$8.89 COP 31.6K

74.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.34 COP 8,319

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.06 COP 3,764

88.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.50 COP 5,355

54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$1.38 COP 4,906

136.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.15 COP 4,097

14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.16 COP 4,141

64.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.89 COP 3,170

61.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 €0.35

$0.84 COP 2,986

-51.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.05

$2.28 COP 8,116

208.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 €7.16

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-21.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.20 COP 4,268

85.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$2.47 COP 8,793

23.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.86 COP 3,045

59.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.93 €36.96

$41.40 COP 147.3K

3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.90

$1.47 COP 5,245

287.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 €0.43

$1.96 COP 6,984

-74.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.77 €22.19

$7.74 COP 27.5K

232.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.95 COP 3,397

120.00%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

69.22%

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

$29.6K €25.4K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

11.59%

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

$226 €195

$82.3 COP 292.7K

174.95%

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

$13.41 €11.55

$9.50 COP 33.8K

41.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.17 €27.69

$24.23 COP 86.2K

32.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.41 €40.82

$25.89 COP 92.1K

83.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.52 €15.09

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-7.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 €7.45

$3.93 COP 14.0K

120.10%

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

$295 €254

$309 COP 1.1M

-4.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,860 €2,462

$5,965 COP 21.2M

-52.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 €60.0

$58.7 COP 208.7K

18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 €31.74

$32.35 COP 115.1K

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$103 COP 365.1K

-1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €94.9

$108 COP 385.8K

1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 €447

$476 COP 1.7M

9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 €294

$379 COP 1.3M

-9.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 €770

$838 COP 3.0M

6.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 €586

$724 COP 2.6M

-6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,852 €1,594

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-33.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 €1,168

$1,211 COP 4.3M

12.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,605 €1,381

$512 COP 1.8M

213.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

13.43

-69.92%

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

Last update for Cosenza: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Cosenza and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cosenza pays 214% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Cosenza vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Cosenza vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cosenza and Medellin differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,385 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cosenza pays 214% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $519 in Cosenza versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $295 in Cosenza versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Cosenza. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,385 in Cosenza, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cosenza. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cosenza and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Cosenza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.