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: $1,394 in Cosenza versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,185 in Cosenza versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,976 in Cosenza versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Cosenza is roughly 35% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cosenza is 4% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.32

$6.16 COP 20.1K

184.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 €55.0

$32.60 COP 106.1K

92.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €10.07

$7.34 COP 23.9K

56.68%

Cappuccino

$1.63 €1.43

$1.72 COP 5,599

-5.23%

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

$2.15 €1.88

$1.05 COP 3,420

104.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.77 COP 2,515

46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.97

$1.69 COP 5,487

168.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.00

$3.17 COP 10.3K

44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.00

$1.05 COP 3,423

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.30 COP 4,236

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$1.40 COP 4,544

86.43%

Eggs

$3.58 €3.14

$2.16 COP 7,046

65.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 €10.82

$4.39 COP 14.3K

181.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.06

$5.88 COP 19.1K

75.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 €13.95

$8.64 COP 28.1K

84.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$2.28 COP 7,425

-0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.11 COP 3,603

84.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.53 COP 4,982

48.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.82

$1.35 COP 4,410

138.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.13 COP 3,674

22.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.13 COP 3,692

70.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.85 COP 2,753

72.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.39

$0.91 COP 2,975

-50.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €5.90

$2.34 COP 7,629

188.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 €6.43

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.20 COP 3,909

86.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.67

$2.49 COP 8,104

22.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.24

$0.84 COP 2,727

67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.94 €37.61

$40.57 COP 132.1K

5.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$1.42 COP 4,623

308.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 €0.47

$1.92 COP 6,235

-71.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.82 €22.61

$7.66 COP 24.9K

237.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.99 COP 3,223

110.10%

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

$30.6K €26.8K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

69.75%

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

$30.3K €26.6K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

13.94%

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

$223 €195

$80.8 COP 263.1K

175.94%

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

$13.40 €11.73

$9.95 COP 32.4K

34.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.38 €28.36

$24.18 COP 78.7K

33.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.04 €41.19

$25.08 COP 81.6K

87.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.59 €15.41

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-8.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.52 €7.46

$3.98 COP 13.0K

114.07%

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

$296 €259

$305 COP 993.4K

-2.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 €2,542

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-52.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 €62.4

$58.1 COP 189.2K

22.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.90 €32.32

$32.20 COP 104.8K

14.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €89.4

$101 COP 327.9K

1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.7

$108 COP 350.8K

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 €455

$477 COP 1.6M

8.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 €307

$376 COP 1.2M

-6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 €792

$845 COP 2.7M

7.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €605

$730 COP 2.4M

-5.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,786 €1,564

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-44.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,286 €1,127

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-6.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,534 €1,343

$617 COP 2.0M

148.66%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Cosenza and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cosenza pays 149% 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: $63.0 in Cosenza vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $193 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,394 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Cosenza, 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 $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Cosenza versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Cosenza. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,394 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 35% less than in Cosenza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.