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: $1,919 in Funchal versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,821 in Funchal versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Funchal versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Funchal is roughly 86% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Funchal is 44% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.42 €9.98

$6.16 COP 20.0K

85.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €50.3

$32.60 COP 106.0K

76.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 €8.18

$7.34 COP 23.9K

27.52%

Cappuccino

$1.76 €1.54

$1.72 COP 5,592

2.33%

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

$1.82 €1.59

$1.05 COP 3,416

73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.77 COP 2,511

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.08

$1.69 COP 5,480

108.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.57

$3.17 COP 10.3K

29.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.05 COP 3,418

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.30 COP 4,230

44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.40 COP 4,538

20.71%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.54

$2.16 COP 7,037

87.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 €9.24

$4.39 COP 14.3K

140.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 €6.35

$5.88 COP 19.1K

23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 €10.16

$8.64 COP 28.1K

34.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.28 COP 7,415

-13.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.11 COP 3,599

64.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.53 COP 4,976

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.35 COP 4,405

82.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.13 COP 3,669

78.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.13 COP 3,687

66.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.85 COP 2,749

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.91 COP 2,971

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.17

$2.34 COP 7,619

152.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 €6.09

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-43.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.20 COP 3,904

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.61

$2.49 COP 8,094

20.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.00

$0.84 COP 2,724

172.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.34 €30.00

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-15.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.42 COP 4,617

183.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.92 COP 6,227

-30.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.15 €16.73

$7.66 COP 24.9K

150.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.69

$0.99 COP 3,219

94.95%

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

$35.0K €30.6K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

93.94%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

47.08%

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

$117 €103

$80.8 COP 262.7K

45.35%

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

$20.15 €17.61

$9.95 COP 32.3K

102.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.92 €41.00

$24.18 COP 78.6K

94.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.68 €38.16

$25.08 COP 81.5K

74.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 €7.52

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-55.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 €7.80

$3.98 COP 13.0K

124.37%

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

$450 €393

$305 COP 992.2K

47.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,452 €5,637

$6,059 COP 19.7M

6.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 €57.0

$58.1 COP 189.0K

12.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.59 €30.22

$32.20 COP 104.7K

7.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 €71.0

$101 COP 327.5K

-19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 €66.0

$108 COP 350.3K

-29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,221

$477 COP 1.5M

193.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €923

$376 COP 1.2M

180.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,188

$845 COP 2.7M

196.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,512

$730 COP 2.4M

137.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,928 €4,306

$3,215 COP 10.5M

53.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,279 €2,865

$1,372 COP 4.5M

138.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,328 €1,160

$617 COP 2.0M

115.34%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,398 in Funchal and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Funchal pays 115% 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: $58.0 in Funchal vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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

Funchal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Funchal and Medellin differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,919 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 115% higher in Funchal, 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: $1,398 in Funchal versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,919 per month in Funchal versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 86% 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 $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,919 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 86% less than in Funchal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.