Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,299 in Maldonado versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Maldonado versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Maldonado versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Maldonado is roughly 26% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maldonado 3% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 UYU 643

$6.16 COP 20.1K

159.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 UYU 2,190

$32.60 COP 106.1K

67.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 UYU 444

$7.34 COP 23.9K

50.41%

Cappuccino

$4.19 UYU 168

$1.72 COP 5,599

143.60%

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

$2.16 UYU 86.7

$1.05 COP 3,420

105.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.8

$0.77 COP 2,515

122.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 UYU 97.8

$1.69 COP 5,487

43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 UYU 147

$3.17 COP 10.3K

15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.31

$1.05 COP 3,423

7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 UYU 112

$1.30 COP 4,236

114.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 UYU 64.3

$1.40 COP 4,544

14.29%

Eggs

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.16 COP 7,046

119.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 UYU 550

$4.39 COP 14.3K

211.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 UYU 430

$5.88 COP 19.1K

82.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 UYU 437

$8.64 COP 28.1K

25.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 UYU 88.5

$2.28 COP 7,425

-3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 UYU 96.6

$1.11 COP 3,603

116.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 62.1

$1.53 COP 4,982

0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 UYU 140

$1.35 COP 4,410

158.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 UYU 71.8

$1.13 COP 3,674

58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 UYU 78.8

$1.13 COP 3,692

73.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 UYU 49.67

$0.85 COP 2,753

45.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 UYU 64.0

$0.91 COP 2,975

74.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 UYU 213

$2.34 COP 7,629

126.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 UYU 323

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 UYU 78.7

$1.20 COP 3,909

63.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.49 COP 8,104

7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 UYU 55.3

$0.84 COP 2,727

64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 UYU 1,776

$40.57 COP 132.1K

8.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 UYU 57.8

$1.42 COP 4,623

1.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 UYU 84.1

$1.92 COP 6,235

8.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.21 UYU 450

$7.66 COP 24.9K

46.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 UYU 73.4

$0.99 COP 3,223

84.85%

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

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

91.95%

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

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

37.35%

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

$155 UYU 6,218

$80.8 COP 263.1K

91.45%

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

$16.47 UYU 662

$9.95 COP 32.4K

65.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 UYU 1,705

$24.18 COP 78.7K

75.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.40 UYU 1,865

$25.08 COP 81.6K

85.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.58 UYU 1,189

$19.15 COP 62.3K

54.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 UYU 318

$3.98 COP 13.0K

98.74%

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

$492 UYU 19.8K

$305 COP 993.4K

61.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,401 UYU 297.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

22.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 UYU 3,479

$58.1 COP 189.2K

48.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.65 UYU 1,915

$32.20 COP 104.8K

47.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 UYU 3,557

$101 COP 327.9K

-12.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 UYU 3,743

$108 COP 350.8K

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 UYU 14.9K

$477 COP 1.6M

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 UYU 11.3K

$376 COP 1.2M

-25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 UYU 35.6K

$845 COP 2.7M

4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 UYU 24.9K

$730 COP 2.4M

-15.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 UYU 60.7K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-53.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,306 UYU 52.5K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-4.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$861 UYU 34.6K

$617 COP 2.0M

39.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

13.43

-57.71%

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

Last update for Maldonado: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Maldonado and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 40% 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: $54.0 in Maldonado vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 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

Maldonado vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Medellin differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,299 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 40% higher in Maldonado, 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: $370 in Maldonado versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Maldonado versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,299 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. 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, Maldonado 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 26% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.