Cost of Living Comparison Between Elche and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Elche and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in Elche versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Elche versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,820 in Elche versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Elche is roughly 47% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elche is 12% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 €13.20

$5.93 COP 19.1K

153.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.9

$33.12 COP 106.6K

78.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.31

$7.12 COP 22.9K

64.61%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.91

$1.71 COP 5,487

26.90%

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

$2.27 €2.00

$1.05 COP 3,374

116.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.39

$0.72 COP 2,324

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 €2.61

$1.72 COP 5,531

72.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.09

$3.17 COP 10.2K

11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.06 COP 3,426

21.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.31 COP 4,215

-0.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.33 COP 4,279

27.82%

Eggs

$2.81 €2.47

$2.28 COP 7,338

23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 €10.21

$4.42 COP 14.2K

162.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 €7.62

$5.92 COP 19.0K

46.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 €12.58

$8.64 COP 27.8K

65.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.16

$2.34 COP 7,545

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.10 COP 3,546

64.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.47 COP 4,724

41.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 €2.10

$1.38 COP 4,439

73.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.43

$1.17 COP 3,774

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.67

$1.17 COP 3,765

62.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.94

$0.90 COP 2,905

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.62

$0.84 COP 2,708

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.48

$2.33 COP 7,490

167.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.64 €4.08

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-61.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.01

$1.15 COP 3,693

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.59

$2.42 COP 7,791

-25.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.84 COP 2,702

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.79 €20.04

$40.83 COP 131.4K

-44.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €3.00

$1.41 COP 4,541

141.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.91 COP 6,160

-33.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.06 €22.03

$7.83 COP 25.2K

220.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.94 COP 3,037

90.43%

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

$34.2K €30.1K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

91.96%

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

$32.2K €28.3K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

18.80%

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

$139 €123

$83.3 COP 267.9K

67.54%

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

$16.39 €14.41

$9.66 COP 31.1K

69.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.78 €27.93

$24.22 COP 77.9K

31.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 €45.72

$25.22 COP 81.2K

106.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 €10.32

$19.33 COP 62.2K

-39.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.44

$4.07 COP 13.1K

135.87%

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

$725 €637

$307 COP 986.5K

136.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,366

$5,981 COP 19.2M

78.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 €64.2

$60.0 COP 192.9K

21.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.62 €31.32

$32.65 COP 105.1K

9.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 €84.3

$101 COP 325.2K

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €96.9

$108 COP 347.6K

2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 €555

$476 COP 1.5M

32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €501

$379 COP 1.2M

50.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 €826

$816 COP 2.6M

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 €662

$707 COP 2.3M

6.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,104 €1,850

$3,190 COP 10.3M

-34.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 €1,349

$1,446 COP 4.7M

6.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,610 €1,415

$622 COP 2.0M

158.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

13.43

-73.34%

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

Last update for Elche: July 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $632 in Elche and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elche pays 159% 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: $59.0 in Elche vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $192 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

Elche vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Elche. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 159% higher in Elche, 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: $632 in Elche versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $59.0 in Elche. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,496 per month in Elche versus $1,018 in Medellin – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Elche, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Elche. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Elche 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 47% less than in Elche. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.