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: $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,179 in Maldonado versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,014 in Maldonado versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 22% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 2% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.69 UYU 591

$8.03 COP 25.1K

82.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 UYU 2,218

$48.26 COP 150.8K

14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 UYU 442

$9.77 COP 30.5K

12.49%

Cappuccino

$4.53 UYU 182

$2.91 COP 9,095

55.67%

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

$2.60 UYU 104

$1.94 COP 6,074

34.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.52 COP 4,754

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 UYU 146

$3.09 COP 9,663

17.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 UYU 149

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-35.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 UYU 47.46

$1.36 COP 4,262

-13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.39 COP 7,460

16.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 UYU 71.9

$1.70 COP 5,314

5.29%

Eggs

$4.03 UYU 162

$2.87 COP 8,967

40.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 UYU 578

$9.94 COP 31.1K

44.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 UYU 468

$10.78 COP 33.7K

7.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 UYU 468

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 UYU 116

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 UYU 87.6

$1.57 COP 4,911

38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 UYU 73.5

$2.13 COP 6,642

-14.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 UYU 127

$2.21 COP 6,917

42.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 UYU 82.2

$2.05 COP 6,396

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 UYU 80.1

$1.50 COP 4,700

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 UYU 56.4

$1.19 COP 3,718

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 UYU 76.1

$1.16 COP 3,619

62.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 UYU 219

$3.90 COP 12.2K

39.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 UYU 322

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-44.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.58 COP 4,948

43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.83 COP 8,836

-3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$1.17 COP 3,650

16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.26 UYU 1,982

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-36.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 UYU 138

$1.28 COP 4,014

167.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.41

$2.09 COP 6,537

-79.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 UYU 402

$8.62 COP 26.9K

15.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

$1.30 COP 4,056

49.23%

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

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-0.73%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$35.5K COP 110.9M

4.22%

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

$113 UYU 4,552

$176 COP 550.1K

-35.75%

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

$16.99 UYU 684

$13.37 COP 41.8K

27.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.82 UYU 1,844

$29.89 COP 93.4K

53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.71 UYU 1,960

$44.76 COP 139.8K

8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.07 UYU 1,210

$17.06 COP 53.3K

76.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 UYU 497

$6.20 COP 19.4K

99.19%

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

$492 UYU 19.8K

$793 COP 2.5M

-37.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

-25.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 UYU 3,647

$85.6 COP 267.5K

5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 UYU 1,527

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-35.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,900

$136 COP 425.9K

-10.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,693

$103 COP 322.2K

13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 UYU 17.2K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-59.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 UYU 12.8K

$680 COP 2.1M

-53.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 UYU 36.6K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 UYU 23.6K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

$665 COP 2.1M

51.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

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

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Maldonado and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $303 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 28% in total monthly costs ($1,345 vs $1,716 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $427 in Maldonado versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Maldonado versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.