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: $1,558 in Elche versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Elche versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,062 in Elche versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Elche costs roughly 5% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elche 13% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.12

$8.04 COP 24.8K

118.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 €51.1

$48.29 COP 148.7K

22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.10

$9.42 COP 29.0K

24.31%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.13

$2.94 COP 9,045

-15.99%

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

$2.54 €2.19

$1.86 COP 5,738

36.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.46 COP 4,481

31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.04

$3.21 COP 9,887

9.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.08

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-37.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.44 COP 4,431

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.40 COP 7,393

-27.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.70 COP 5,230

4.12%

Eggs

$3.20 €2.76

$2.89 COP 8,901

10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.78 €12.74

$10.06 COP 31.0K

46.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 €7.14

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 €12.23

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.33

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.58 COP 4,880

31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.15 COP 6,627

-8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.15

$2.30 COP 7,082

8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.00 COP 6,172

-5.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.51 COP 4,648

44.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.20 COP 3,703

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.28 COP 3,948

-42.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.74

$3.84 COP 11.8K

73.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.08

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-57.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.71 COP 5,259

-38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$2.74 COP 8,444

-63.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.25 COP 3,836

19.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.02 €19.85

$77.9 COP 239.9K

-70.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.69

$1.31 COP 4,018

138.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 €0.78

$2.17 COP 6,684

-58.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 €14.81

$8.29 COP 25.5K

107.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.36 COP 4,174

25.00%

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

$36.9K €31.8K

$27.5K COP 84.6M

34.38%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$36.5K COP 112.5M

-17.72%

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

$146 €126

$169 COP 519.5K

-13.56%

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

$18.23 €15.72

$13.57 COP 41.8K

34.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.44 €24.53

$28.32 COP 87.2K

0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.26

$45.71 COP 140.8K

4.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.46 €9.89

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 €6.37

$6.65 COP 20.5K

11.13%

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

$724 €625

$803 COP 2.5M

-9.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,970

$9,190 COP 28.3M

13.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €76.7

$87.4 COP 269.0K

1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.55 €32.38

$59.4 COP 182.8K

-36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €77.4

$139 COP 427.7K

-35.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 €76.4

$102 COP 314.2K

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 €601

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 €516

$653 COP 2.0M

-8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €880

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-46.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 €759

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-16.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,116 €1,825

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-48.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,558 €1,344

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-8.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 €1,462

$655 COP 2.0M

158.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

10.94

-69.84%

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

Last update for Elche: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Elche and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elche pays 159% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Elche vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $300, with Elche cheaper for home cooking.

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

Elche wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elche 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: $697 in Elche versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Elche – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,558 per month in Elche versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,558 in Elche versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Elche but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Elche the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Elche delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,558 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Elche 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 Elche gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.