Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,945 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,794 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $3,643 in Bilbao.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 47% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Bilbao is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$17.03 €14.58

-65.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$69.5 €59.5

-52.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$11.45 €9.80

-37.12%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.41 €2.06

-29.46%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$3.02 €2.58

-63.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$2.03 €1.74

-64.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.69 €3.16

-54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.87 €3.32

-19.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.24 €1.06

-14.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.47 €1.26

-14.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.65 €1.41

-15.76%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.93 €2.51

-22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$15.76 €13.49

-72.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$8.77 €7.51

-33.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.57 €11.62

-34.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.64 €2.26

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.37 €2.03

-54.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.46 €2.10

-37.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.35 €2.01

-41.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.72 €1.47

-34.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.30 €1.97

-51.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.48 €1.27

-42.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.14 €0.98

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$7.00 €5.99

-66.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.44 €7.23

31.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.34 €1.14

-11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.60 €2.23

-8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.98 €1.70

-60.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$49.12 €42.05

-16.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$5.56 €4.76

-74.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.96 €0.82

98.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$33.26 €28.47

-75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.74 €1.49

-45.98%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$39.0K €33.4K

-54.05%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$32.4K €27.8K

-17.39%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$153 €131

-45.27%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$21.52 €18.42

-55.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$34.05 €29.15

-29.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$57.8 €49.47

-55.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$9.94 €8.51

91.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$10.00 €8.56

-60.80%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$543 €464

-43.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$9,023 €7,724

-34.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$84.5 €72.3

-31.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$35.67 €30.53

-10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$82.2 €70.4

21.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$113 €96.5

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$1,071 €917

-54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$962 €824

-61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,793 €1,535

-53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,358 €1,162

-47.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$5,973 €5,113

-51.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$3,752 €3,212

-62.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$2,413 €2,066

-77.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.38

297.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $1,071 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 342% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $69.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $284 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

Medellin vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bilbao differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,945 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bilbao earns 342% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $1,071 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $543 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,945 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. 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, Medellin and Bilbao 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 88% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.