Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,166 in Bilbao, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bilbao

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 Bilbao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,166 in Bilbao.

Medellin $1,639
Bilbao $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,118 in Bilbao.

Medellin $2,413
Bilbao $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,069 in Bilbao.

Medellin $3,186
Bilbao $4,069

Living in Medellin costs roughly 24% less than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$22.64 €20.27

-64.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$73.0 €65.4

-35.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$12.47 €11.17

-23.82%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.67 €2.39

12.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$3.12 €2.79

-42.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.91 €1.71

-26.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.30 €2.96

-3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.30 €2.96

74.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.31 €1.17

15.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.65 €1.48

44.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.54 €1.38

14.94%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.31 €2.97

-12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$15.55 €13.93

-34.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.97 €7.14

23.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$14.56 €13.04

-3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.76 €2.47

43.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.09 €1.87

-25.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.54 €2.28

-14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.65 €2.38

-17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.64 €1.47

19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.43 €2.18

-34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.28 €1.14

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.93 €0.83

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.57 €5.89

-39.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$7.59 €6.80

80.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.51 €1.35

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.59 €2.32

-12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.95 €1.75

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$50.7 €45.41

52.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$5.37 €4.81

-76.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.03 €0.92

99.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$32.32 €28.94

-73.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.83 €1.64

-26.23%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$33.3K €29.8K

2.34%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$32.3K €28.9K

7.45%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$145 €130

17.08%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$19.91 €17.83

-31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$29.47 €26.40

-4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$50.8 €45.51

-14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$15.21 €13.62

13.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$10.18 €9.11

-32.12%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$534 €478

49.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$11.7K €10.5K

-22.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$105 €93.7

-19.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$36.56 €32.74

58.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$76.0 €68.1

77.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$143 €128

-31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,366 €1,224

-11.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,093 €979

-41.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,008 €1,798

0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,559 €1,397

-35.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$5,880 €5,266

-29.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,707 €3,320

-48.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,346 €2,101

-71.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.98

267.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4% 70.4% $451

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bilbao

$283 13.1% 4.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bilbao

$194 9% 8% $17

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bilbao

$294 13.6% 73.2% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bilbao

$162 7.5% 4% $6.8

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bilbao

$69 3.2% 26.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bilbao

$71 3.3% 23.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $73 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $283, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

346,096

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bilbao 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bilbao

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 Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,166 in Bilbao, so Medellin is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $534 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Bilbao on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.