Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataro and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,845 in Mataro, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mataro
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,845
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mataro and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mataro and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,845 per month in Mataro vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Mataro $1,845
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,691 per month in Mataro vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Mataro $2,691
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Mataro vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Mataro $3,536
  • Medellin $3,190

Mataro costs about 14% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mataro and Medellin sit above the global median – Mataro by 37%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.49 €14.67
$7.93 COP 25.2K
107.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.6 €50.3
$46.13 COP 146.3K
22.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.31 €11.84
$9.50 COP 30.1K
40.11%
Cappuccino
$2.11 €1.88
$3.11 COP 9,866
-32.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.06
$1.83 COP 5,800
26.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.38 COP 4,360
39.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.88 €3.45
$3.05 COP 9,672
27.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.93
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-40.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.45 COP 4,600
-19.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.36 COP 7,496
-15.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.68 COP 5,328
-10.71%
Eggs
$3.90 €3.47
$2.86 COP 9,077
36.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.84 €14.98
$10.19 COP 32.3K
65.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.84 €7.86
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-7.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.92 €17.72
$14.04 COP 44.5K
41.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 €2.41
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-33.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 €1.81
$1.50 COP 4,742
36.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.59 €2.30
$2.17 COP 6,891
19.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$2.31 COP 7,310
18.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.93 COP 6,113
4.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.64 COP 5,196
38.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.13 COP 3,571
35.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.25 COP 3,954
-29.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.32 €5.63
$3.99 COP 12.6K
58.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.43 €4.83
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-59.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.70 COP 5,384
-32.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.03
$2.37 COP 7,525
-3.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 €2.28
$1.21 COP 3,827
112.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.25 €31.35
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-53.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.31 €2.06
$1.32 COP 4,179
75.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.91
$2.14 COP 6,774
-52.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.23 €26.00
$8.47 COP 26.8K
245.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.30 COP 4,114
37.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K €30.7K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
23.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-19.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 €161
$172 COP 545.6K
5.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.10 €10.77
$13.37 COP 42.4K
-9.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.95 €25.75
$28.73 COP 91.1K
0.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.7 €54.0
$45.24 COP 143.5K
34.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.94 €12.40
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-18.19%
Cinema Ticket
$10.51 €9.35
$6.28 COP 19.9K
67.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$498 €443
$770 COP 2.4M
-35.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,969 €7,089
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-11.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.2 €77.6
$86.4 COP 274.0K
0.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.03 €34.71
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-31.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.8 €87.0
$137 COP 432.9K
-28.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.5
$97.9 COP 310.4K
14.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$954 €849
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-9.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$791 €704
$616 COP 2.0M
28.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 €1,200
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-28.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 €1,048
$1,023 COP 3.2M
15.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,404 €3,028
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-16.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,818 €2,507
$1,678 COP 5.3M
67.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mataro
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,889 €1,681
$652 COP 2.1M
189.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
10.94
-70.02%

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

Last update for Mataro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mataro
$791
Medellin
$616 22.2% $175
Groceries & Markets
Mataro
$306
Medellin
$295 3.7% $11
Eating Out
Mataro
$240
Medellin
$168 29.9% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mataro
$222
Medellin
$214 3.4% $7.6
Clothing & Footwear
Mataro
$151
Medellin
$170 12.5% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Mataro
$82
Medellin
$58 29.3% $24
Getting Around
Mataro
$53
Medellin
$93 76.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Mataro versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Mataro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Mataro versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Mataro
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
19:58 7:58 PM
12:58 12:58 PM
7 h behind Mataro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
129,870
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mataro Medellin 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mataro
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Mataro vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mataro and in Medellin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,845 in Mataro, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mataro compared to Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,768 per month in Mataro and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mataro and Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Mataro and in Medellin?
Public transport costs about 117% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mataro and Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $498 per month in Mataro and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Mataro at $1,845. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mataro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mataro and Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $1,845 in Mataro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Mataro or Medellin safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Mataro and Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mataro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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