Cost of Living Comparison Between Funchal and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Funchal and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,900 in Funchal versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,767 in Funchal versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,634 in Funchal versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Funchal is roughly 88% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Funchal is 42% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 €10.16

$5.99 COP 21.4K

96.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.00

$32.86 COP 117.2K

73.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 €7.74

$7.09 COP 25.3K

26.80%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.51

$1.71 COP 6,105

2.34%

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

$1.76 €1.52

$1.10 COP 3,918

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$0.78 COP 2,776

96.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.05

$1.68 COP 5,987

110.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.52

$3.07 COP 10.9K

32.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.09 COP 3,899

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.26 COP 4,500

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.38 COP 4,914

22.46%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.44

$2.19 COP 7,813

82.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 €9.14

$4.40 COP 15.7K

141.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 €6.25

$5.63 COP 20.1K

28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 €9.90

$8.89 COP 31.7K

29.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.34 COP 8,334

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.06 COP 3,771

70.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.50 COP 5,365

14.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.38 COP 4,915

79.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.15 COP 4,104

78.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.16 COP 4,148

63.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.89 COP 3,176

97.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.84 COP 2,992

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 €4.97

$2.28 COP 8,131

153.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 €6.07

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-33.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.20 COP 4,276

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.69

$2.47 COP 8,809

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.86 COP 3,051

166.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 €30.27

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-15.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 €3.48

$1.47 COP 5,255

174.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.96 COP 6,997

-33.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.42 €16.72

$7.74 COP 27.6K

150.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.95 COP 3,403

102.11%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

91.49%

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

$39.6K €34.1K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

49.60%

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

$120 €104

$82.3 COP 293.2K

46.20%

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

$19.87 €17.11

$9.50 COP 33.9K

109.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.02 €40.49

$24.23 COP 86.4K

94.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 €38.62

$25.89 COP 92.3K

73.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.58 €7.38

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-54.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 €7.71

$3.93 COP 14.0K

127.74%

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

$442 €381

$309 COP 1.1M

42.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,396 €5,508

$5,965 COP 21.3M

7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 €56.1

$58.7 COP 209.1K

11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.34 €29.57

$32.35 COP 115.3K

6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €70.8

$103 COP 365.7K

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 €65.3

$108 COP 386.5K

-30.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,199

$476 COP 1.7M

192.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 €909

$379 COP 1.4M

178.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 €2,128

$838 COP 3.0M

194.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,507

$724 COP 2.6M

141.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,978 €4,287

$2,791 COP 9.9M

78.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,425 €2,949

$1,211 COP 4.3M

182.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,358 €1,169

$512 COP 1.8M

165.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

13.43

-60.76%

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

Last update for Funchal: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Funchal and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Funchal pays 165% 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: $57.0 in Funchal vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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

Funchal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Funchal and Medellin differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,900 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Funchal pays 165% 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: $1,393 in Funchal versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,900 per month in Funchal versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 18% less than in Funchal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,900 in Funchal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Funchal. 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, Funchal 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 88% less than in Funchal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.