Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matosinhos and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,913 in Matosinhos, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Matosinhos outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Matosinhos, Portugal
Medellin, Colombia
Matosinhos
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,913
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matosinhos 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 Matosinhos and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,913 in Matosinhos versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Matosinhos $1,913
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,802 in Matosinhos versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Matosinhos $2,802
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,691 in Matosinhos versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Matosinhos $3,691
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in Matosinhos is roughly 17% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Matosinhos 41% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.36 €11.96
$8.09 COP 26.1K
65.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.26 €43.22
$47.05 COP 151.7K
2.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.92 €8.89
$9.50 COP 30.6K
4.42%
Cappuccino
$2.69 €2.41
$3.01 COP 9,722
-10.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.80 COP 5,801
11.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 €1.36
$1.41 COP 4,554
7.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 €1.96
$3.18 COP 10.2K
-31.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 €3.09
$5.75 COP 18.5K
-40.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.51 COP 4,869
-27.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 €1.50
$2.38 COP 7,667
-29.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.77 COP 5,712
-4.52%
Eggs
$3.41 €3.06
$2.89 COP 9,320
17.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.78 €10.55
$10.19 COP 32.9K
15.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.04 €6.31
$9.87 COP 31.8K
-28.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.72 €13.18
$13.99 COP 45.1K
5.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.21 €1.98
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-44.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 €1.36
$1.55 COP 5,005
-1.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.18 COP 7,039
-13.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.49 €2.23
$2.18 COP 7,041
14.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.96 COP 6,328
-19.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 €1.65
$1.59 COP 5,125
15.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 €1.44
$1.15 COP 3,694
39.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.24 COP 4,009
-37.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.25 €5.59
$3.96 COP 12.8K
57.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.44 €4.88
$13.68 COP 44.1K
-60.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.66 COP 5,352
-18.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.88
$2.26 COP 7,281
-7.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.76 €2.47
$1.17 COP 3,766
135.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.24 €40.51
$77.4 COP 249.5K
-41.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.32 €3.87
$1.27 COP 4,089
240.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 €0.73
$2.05 COP 6,603
-60.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.87 €12.43
$8.55 COP 27.6K
62.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.23 €2.00
$1.35 COP 4,343
65.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K €29.8K
$34.1K COP 109.8M
-2.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K €33.9K
$34.7K COP 111.8M
9.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €147
$170 COP 547.0K
-3.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.58 €20.23
$13.55 COP 43.7K
66.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.82 €29.39
$28.07 COP 90.5K
16.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.5 €55.9
$43.70 COP 140.9K
42.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.39 €19.16
$17.19 COP 55.4K
24.43%
Cinema Ticket
$9.06 €8.12
$6.91 COP 22.3K
31.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$564 €505
$797 COP 2.6M
-29.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K €9,403
$9,112 COP 29.4M
15.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.8 €84.9
$84.7 COP 273.2K
11.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.05 €33.19
$58.0 COP 186.9K
-36.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.5 €83.8
$135 COP 435.2K
-30.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.7
$97.9 COP 315.6K
8.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,178 €1,055
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-2.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$949 €850
$642 COP 2.1M
47.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,238 €2,005
$2,028 COP 6.5M
10.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 €1,400
$1,012 COP 3.3M
54.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,277 €3,830
$4,170 COP 13.4M
2.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,731 €3,341
$1,910 COP 6.2M
95.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Matosinhos
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,563 €1,400
$657 COP 2.1M
137.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
10.94
-66.45%

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

Last update for Matosinhos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Matosinhos
$949
Medellin
$642 32.4% $307
Groceries & Markets
Matosinhos
$249
Medellin
$297 19.3% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matosinhos
$220
Medellin
$211 3.9% $8.6
Eating Out
Matosinhos
$201
Medellin
$170 15.6% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Matosinhos
$149
Medellin
$169 13.4% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Matosinhos
$81
Medellin
$58 28.6% $23
Getting Around
Matosinhos
$65
Medellin
$94 44.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,178 in Matosinhos and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matosinhos pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Matosinhos vs $47 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $297, with Matosinhos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Matosinhos
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
10:11 10:11 AM
05:11 5:11 AM
5 h behind Matosinhos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
172,586
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Matosinhos Medellin 7,630 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Matosinhos
  • 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
Matosinhos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Matosinhos?
Medellin is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Matosinhos or Medellin?
Average pay in Matosinhos is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Matosinhos and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,178 in Matosinhos versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Matosinhos and in Medellin?
Shoppers in Matosinhos pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Matosinhos and in Medellin?
All in, you’ll spend $1,913 per month in Matosinhos versus $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 enough for either Matosinhos or Medellin?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Matosinhos or in Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Matosinhos on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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