Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alcala de Guadaira

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Alcala de Guadaira: $1,614 and $1,567 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Alcala de Guadaira
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Alcala de Guadaira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,567 in Alcala de Guadaira.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Alcala de Guadaira $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $2,323 in Alcala de Guadaira.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Alcala de Guadaira $2,323

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $3,079 in Alcala de Guadaira.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Alcala de Guadaira $3,079

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than in Alcala de Guadaira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Alcala de Guadaira 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$13.70 €12.19
-42.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$55.3 €49.16
-16.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$9.14 €8.13
3.94%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$1.88 €1.67
65.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.12 €1.89
-13.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.53 €1.36
-9.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$3.05 €2.71
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$3.45 €3.07
59.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.11 €0.99
30.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.63 €1.45
44.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.37 €1.22
22.63%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$3.31 €2.95
-13.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$13.61 €12.10
-25.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$8.52 €7.58
11.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$15.77 €14.03
-10.97%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$2.45 €2.18
66.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$2.09 €1.85
-28.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.86 €1.65
16.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$2.48 €2.21
-6.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.79 €1.60
7.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$2.06 €1.83
-20.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.45 €1.29
-22.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.73 €0.65
71.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$6.50 €5.78
-38.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$5.87 €5.22
127.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.15 €1.02
47.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$1.94 €1.73
22.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$1.61 €1.43
-24.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$32.47 €28.89
135.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$1.69 €1.50
-21.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.07 €0.95
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$13.36 €11.89
-36.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.75 €1.56
-25.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$36.0K €32.0K
-22.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$28.9K €25.7K
22.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$116 €103
48.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$16.02 €14.25
-16.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$28.91 €25.71
-0.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$45.05 €40.07
0.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$15.81 €14.06
7.78%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$7.89 €7.02
-20.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$543 €483
41.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$8,094 €7,199
11.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$90.8 €80.8
-4.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$39.00 €34.69
46.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$93.6 €83.3
45.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$116 €103
-15.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$894 €795
18.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$683 €608
-9.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,345 €1,196
40.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,021 €908
0.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$3,304 €2,939
22.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,229 €1,983
-24.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Alcala de Guadaira
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.34
227.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alcala de Guadaira: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Alcala de Guadaira
$683 11% $68
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Alcala de Guadaira
$267 9.4% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Alcala de Guadaira
$161 24.7% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Alcala de Guadaira
$153 10.3% $18
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Alcala de Guadaira
$196 16.6% $28
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Alcala de Guadaira
$46 50.8% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Alcala de Guadaira
$61 5.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $894 in Alcala de Guadaira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $55.0 in Alcala de Guadaira. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $267, with Alcala de Guadaira cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇸 Alcala de Guadaira
🕒 Local time
10:15 10:15 AM
17:15 5:15 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
76,547
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Alcala de Guadaira 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Alcala de Guadaira

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
Medellin vs Alcala de Guadaira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Alcala de Guadaira?
Medellin and Alcala de Guadaira differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $1,567 including rent). Alcala de Guadaira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Alcala de Guadaira?
You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $2,351 in Alcala de Guadaira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Alcala de Guadaira?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $894 in Alcala de Guadaira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Alcala de Guadaira – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,567 in Alcala de Guadaira versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alcala de Guadaira but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala de Guadaira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Alcala de Guadaira?
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.
Is Medellin or Alcala de Guadaira safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Medellin and Alcala de Guadaira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Alcala de Guadaira?
Expats usually find Alcala de Guadaira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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