Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,127 in Galway versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Galway versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,421 in Galway versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Galway is roughly 212% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Galway is 135% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 €16.25

$5.91 COP 18.6K

217.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 €84.1

$32.96 COP 103.8K

194.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 €9.11

$7.43 COP 23.4K

41.59%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.61

$1.65 COP 5,207

152.73%

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

$2.32 €2.01

$1.10 COP 3,468

110.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.78 COP 2,458

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.15

$1.72 COP 5,412

312.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 €5.45

$3.18 COP 10.0K

97.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.10 COP 3,474

37.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.15

$1.26 COP 3,962

96.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.38 COP 4,349

52.90%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.55

$2.18 COP 6,858

88.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €10.90

$4.49 COP 14.1K

180.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 €8.86

$5.79 COP 18.2K

76.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 €10.50

$8.97 COP 28.2K

35.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.57

$2.32 COP 7,308

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.06 COP 3,352

94.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.45

$1.52 COP 4,774

86.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.92

$1.36 COP 4,270

147.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.13 COP 3,552

25.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.17 COP 3,689

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.24

$0.90 COP 2,838

58.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.90 COP 2,823

85.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.74 €17.09

$2.23 COP 7,034

785.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 €12.17

$12.12 COP 38.2K

16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.30

$1.19 COP 3,743

316.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 €4.20

$2.48 COP 7,815

95.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €2.00

$0.85 COP 2,687

171.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 €59.0

$41.62 COP 131.0K

63.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.40

$1.42 COP 4,459

257.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.95 COP 6,141

-29.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.30 €37.50

$7.89 COP 24.8K

448.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.99 COP 3,118

109.09%

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

$43.1K €37.3K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

144.94%

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

$38.5K €33.4K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

43.81%

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

$287 €248

$83.0 COP 261.4K

245.63%

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

$21.96 €19.02

$9.70 COP 30.5K

126.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 €48.41

$23.52 COP 74.1K

137.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 €48.88

$25.26 COP 79.5K

123.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 €7.38

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-55.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 €12.17

$3.95 COP 12.4K

255.70%

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

$1,064 €922

$316 COP 994.2K

236.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,122 €7,034

$5,975 COP 18.8M

35.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €79.0

$60.0 COP 188.9K

52.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €33.93

$31.82 COP 100.2K

23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.3

$102 COP 320.1K

0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.1

$107 COP 338.3K

0.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 €1,720

$475 COP 1.5M

318.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,499

$374 COP 1.2M

362.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,305 €2,863

$849 COP 2.7M

289.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 €2,183

$719 COP 2.3M

250.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,992 €5,189

$3,265 COP 10.3M

83.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,663 €4,038

$1,441 COP 4.5M

223.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,082 €2,669

$624 COP 2.0M

393.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

13.43

-64.26%

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

Last update for Galway: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,986 in Galway and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 394% 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: $97.0 in Galway vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 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

Galway vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 212% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 394% higher in Galway, 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: $1,986 in Galway versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $97.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $3,127 in Galway, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Galway, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway 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 212% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.