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: $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Maldonado versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,856 in Maldonado versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Maldonado is roughly 31% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maldonado 1% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 UYU 645

$5.99 COP 21.4K

167.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,205

$32.86 COP 117.2K

66.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 UYU 444

$7.09 COP 25.3K

55.57%

Cappuccino

$4.15 UYU 167

$1.71 COP 6,105

142.69%

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

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$1.10 COP 3,918

106.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 UYU 70.7

$0.78 COP 2,776

124.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 UYU 96.3

$1.68 COP 5,987

42.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 UYU 149

$3.07 COP 10.9K

20.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.41

$1.09 COP 3,899

3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 UYU 115

$1.26 COP 4,500

126.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$1.38 COP 4,914

12.32%

Eggs

$4.63 UYU 186

$2.19 COP 7,813

111.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 UYU 553

$4.40 COP 15.7K

212.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 UYU 434

$5.63 COP 20.1K

91.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 UYU 442

$8.89 COP 31.7K

23.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UYU 88.2

$2.34 COP 8,334

-6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 UYU 96.2

$1.06 COP 3,771

125.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 UYU 63.4

$1.50 COP 5,365

4.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 UYU 142

$1.38 COP 4,915

156.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.4

$1.15 COP 4,104

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 UYU 77.6

$1.16 COP 4,148

66.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 UYU 48.24

$0.89 COP 3,176

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 UYU 64.9

$0.84 COP 2,992

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 UYU 212

$2.28 COP 8,131

130.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 UYU 143

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-66.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.8

$1.20 COP 4,276

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 UYU 107

$2.47 COP 8,809

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$0.86 COP 3,051

53.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 UYU 1,780

$41.40 COP 147.6K

6.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 UYU 60.2

$1.47 COP 5,255

1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 UYU 84.5

$1.96 COP 6,997

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 UYU 452

$7.74 COP 27.6K

44.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 UYU 73.0

$0.95 COP 3,403

90.53%

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

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

89.68%

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

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

35.05%

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

$155 UYU 6,262

$82.3 COP 293.2K

89.03%

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

$16.93 UYU 682

$9.50 COP 33.9K

78.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 UYU 1,744

$24.23 COP 86.4K

78.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 UYU 1,848

$25.89 COP 92.3K

77.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 UYU 1,199

$19.00 COP 67.7K

56.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 UYU 320

$3.93 COP 14.0K

102.29%

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

$478 UYU 19.2K

$309 COP 1.1M

54.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

20.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 UYU 3,427

$58.7 COP 209.1K

45.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 UYU 1,886

$32.35 COP 115.3K

44.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 UYU 3,581

$103 COP 365.7K

-13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 UYU 3,682

$108 COP 386.5K

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 UYU 14.7K

$476 COP 1.7M

-23.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 UYU 11.5K

$379 COP 1.4M

-24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 UYU 35.8K

$838 COP 3.0M

6.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 UYU 24.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

-17.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-45.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

7.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 UYU 35.7K

$512 COP 1.8M

73.17%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Maldonado and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 73% 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: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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

Maldonado vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Medellin differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,325 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Maldonado pays 73% 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: $366 in Maldonado versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Maldonado versus $309 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 $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,325 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 31% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.