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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,943 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,809 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $3,674 in Bilbao.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 48% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Bilbao is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$17.41 €15.00

-65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$68.1 €58.7

-51.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$11.46 €9.88

-36.91%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.31 €1.99

-29.44%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$2.98 €2.56

-63.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$2.08 €1.79

-64.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$3.83 €3.30

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.73 €3.22

-13.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.22 €1.05

-13.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.43 €1.23

-9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.70 €1.46

-22.35%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.86 €2.47

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$15.75 €13.57

-72.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$8.61 €7.42

-31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$13.29 €11.45

-35.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.70 €2.33

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.33 €2.01

-54.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.46 €2.12

-38.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.36 €2.03

-39.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.70 €1.46

-31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.28 €1.97

-48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.47 €1.27

-39.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.14 €0.99

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.96 €6.00

-67.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.96 €6.85

38.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.39 €1.20

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.60 €2.24

-8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.92 €1.66

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$48.35 €41.66

-13.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$5.38 €4.63

-73.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.97 €0.83

95.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$32.93 €28.38

-76.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.83 €1.57

-44.81%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$39.0K €33.6K

-54.87%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$31.7K €27.3K

-16.49%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$154 €133

-45.69%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$21.68 €18.68

-56.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$34.53 €29.75

-30.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$57.3 €49.41

-55.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$10.09 €8.70

89.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$10.00 €8.61

-59.00%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$559 €482

-44.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,837 €7,614

-32.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$85.5 €73.7

-32.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$34.57 €29.79

-5.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$80.4 €69.3

23.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$115 €98.9

-5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$1,102 €950

-56.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$951 €820

-60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,814 €1,563

-53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$1,354 €1,167

-46.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$5,952 €5,128

-52.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$3,742 €3,224

-67.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$2,389 €2,059

-77.36%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $1,102 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 $68.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $281 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 91% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,943 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: $482 in Medellin versus $1,102 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $559 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,943 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 91% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.