Cost of Living Comparison Between Mdina and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mdina and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,051 in Mdina versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Mdina versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Mdina versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Mdina is roughly 20% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mdina 49% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 €17.33

$8.03 COP 25.2K

150.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.3

$48.26 COP 151.7K

88.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$9.77 COP 30.7K

44.63%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.91 COP 9,149

-4.12%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$1.94 COP 6,110

66.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.52 COP 4,783

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.09 COP 9,721

49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.52

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.36 COP 4,287

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.39 COP 7,505

-42.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 €3.89

$1.70 COP 5,346

165.88%

Eggs

$4.50 €3.87

$2.87 COP 9,021

56.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 €7.50

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-12.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.89 €9.36

$10.78 COP 33.9K

1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 €16.33

$14.73 COP 46.3K

28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 €3.80

$4.09 COP 12.8K

8.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$1.57 COP 4,940

85.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$2.13 COP 6,682

73.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.21 COP 6,959

60.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.05 COP 6,435

29.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.50 COP 4,728

35.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.19 COP 3,740

108.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.16 COP 3,640

14.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 €5.97

$3.90 COP 12.2K

78.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.30

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.58 COP 4,978

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.83 COP 8,889

-13.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.17 COP 3,672

103.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.02

$1.28 COP 4,038

356.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.09 COP 6,576

10.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.63 €23.76

$8.62 COP 27.1K

220.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.30 COP 4,080

16.92%

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

$38.9K €33.4K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

40.64%

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

$39.9K €34.3K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

12.41%

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

$108 €92.5

$176 COP 553.4K

-38.91%

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

$26.82 €23.06

$13.37 COP 42.0K

100.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.41 €38.18

$29.89 COP 94.0K

48.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 €55.7

$44.76 COP 140.7K

44.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.06

$6.20 COP 19.5K

70.00%

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

$378 €325

$793 COP 2.5M

-52.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

29.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €79.2

$85.6 COP 269.1K

7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.89 €36.87

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-26.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.3

$136 COP 428.4K

-23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 €69.8

$103 COP 324.1K

-21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €929

$1,060 COP 3.3M

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €871

$680 COP 2.1M

49.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,355

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-21.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 €1,257

$1,169 COP 3.7M

25.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,468 €2,981

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-15.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,639 €2,269

$1,701 COP 5.3M

55.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,548 €1,331

$665 COP 2.1M

132.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

10.94

-73.49%

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

Last update for Mdina: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,081 in Mdina and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mdina pays 133% 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: $91.0 in Mdina vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 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

Mdina vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mdina and Medellin differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,051 vs $1,716 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 133% higher in Mdina, 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: $1,081 in Mdina versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Mdina. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,051 per month in Mdina versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,051 in Mdina, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Mdina. 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, Mdina 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 20% less than in Mdina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.