Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Madrid is roughly 122% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madrid is 72% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.47

$5.93 COP 19.1K

197.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €60.1

$33.12 COP 106.4K

106.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.21

$7.12 COP 22.9K

63.48%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.73

$1.71 COP 5,480

82.46%

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

$3.22 €2.83

$1.05 COP 3,370

206.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$0.72 COP 2,321

202.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 €3.64

$1.72 COP 5,524

141.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.04

$3.17 COP 10.2K

45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.06 COP 3,422

16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.31 COP 4,209

25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.33 COP 4,273

27.82%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.96

$2.28 COP 7,328

48.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 €13.20

$4.42 COP 14.2K

240.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 €7.85

$5.92 COP 19.0K

51.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 €14.73

$8.64 COP 27.8K

94.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.34 COP 7,535

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.92

$1.10 COP 3,541

98.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.47 COP 4,718

68.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.37

$1.38 COP 4,433

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.17 COP 3,769

83.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.17 COP 3,760

76.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.90 COP 2,902

51.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$0.84 COP 2,704

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.11

$2.33 COP 7,480

199.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.92

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-33.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.15 COP 3,688

26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.96

$2.42 COP 7,780

-7.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.84 COP 2,698

113.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 €42.66

$40.83 COP 131.2K

19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.60

$1.41 COP 4,535

191.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.20

$1.91 COP 6,152

-28.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €25.26

$7.83 COP 25.1K

267.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.69

$0.94 COP 3,033

104.26%

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

$37.0K €32.5K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

107.75%

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

$33.7K €29.5K

$27.1K COP 87.0M

24.40%

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

$195 €171

$83.3 COP 267.5K

134.75%

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

$21.22 €18.60

$9.66 COP 31.0K

119.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.93 €30.63

$24.22 COP 77.8K

44.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €46.61

$25.22 COP 81.1K

110.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.47

$19.33 COP 62.1K

-8.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.67 €10.23

$4.07 COP 13.1K

186.73%

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

$664 €582

$307 COP 985.2K

116.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.8K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

105.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €83.8

$60.0 COP 192.6K

59.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 €36.62

$32.65 COP 104.9K

27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.6

$101 COP 324.8K

6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$108 COP 347.2K

25.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,373

$476 COP 1.5M

229.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €978

$379 COP 1.2M

194.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 €2,443

$816 COP 2.6M

241.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 €1,638

$707 COP 2.3M

164.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,189 €8,057

$3,190 COP 10.2M

188.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,356 €3,819

$1,446 COP 4.6M

201.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,480 €2,174

$622 COP 2.0M

298.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

13.43

-74.46%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 299% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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

Madrid vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Madrid. 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 299% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Madrid. 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 $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Madrid. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid 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 122% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.