Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calarasi, Romania

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $884 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Calarasi, Romania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Calarasi
🇷🇴 Romania
$884
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Calarasi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $884 in Calarasi, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Calarasi $884

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,366 in Calarasi, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Calarasi $1,366

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,848 in Calarasi, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Calarasi $1,848

Medellin costs about 86% more than Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Calarasi is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$8.87 RON 42.27
-8.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.8K
$33.46 RON 160
40.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.54 RON 35.94
25.99%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,729
$2.08 RON 9.89
44.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,806
$1.83 RON 8.73
-1.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,558
$1.72 RON 8.18
-18.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$1.53 RON 7.30
107.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$1.44 RON 6.89
299.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,873
$1.45 RON 6.90
4.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,673
$0.92 RON 4.39
158.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,716
$1.49 RON 7.08
18.79%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,327
$2.71 RON 12.92
6.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$7.58 RON 36.15
34.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$4.30 RON 20.50
129.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$8.38 RON 39.94
66.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.09 RON 5.18
264.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,009
$1.38 RON 6.60
12.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,044
$1.23 RON 5.88
77.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.45 RON 6.91
50.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,333
$0.44 RON 2.07
345.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,129
$0.62 RON 2.95
156.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$0.44 RON 2.09
161.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,012
$0.81 RON 3.86
53.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.19 RON 29.50
-36.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$4.23 RON 20.18
223.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,356
$0.98 RON 4.67
69.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,286
$1.38 RON 6.56
63.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,769
$0.41 RON 1.93
185.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.7K
$12.30 RON 58.6
529.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,092
$0.60 RON 2.87
111.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,608
$0.61 RON 2.89
236.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$6.34 RON 30.20
34.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,346
$1.62 RON 7.74
-16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.9M
$28.3K RON 135.1K
20.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$25.1K RON 119.6K
38.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.5K
$163 RON 777
4.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$6.16 RON 29.35
119.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$6.51 RON 31.05
331.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.0K
$47.78 RON 228
-8.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$51.6 RON 246
-66.71%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$8.22 RON 39.17
-15.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$375 RON 1,786
112.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$5,713 RON 27.2K
59.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.4K
$73.5 RON 350
15.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.0K
$20.65 RON 98.4
180.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.5K
$89.8 RON 428
50.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.8K
$95.9 RON 457
2.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$313 RON 1,493
285.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$191 RON 912
235.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$413 RON 1,968
391.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$327 RON 1,558
209.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,190 RON 5,671
250.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$965 RON 4,600
97.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Calarasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$728 RON 3,472
-9.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
7.85
39.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Calarasi
$191 70.2% $450
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Calarasi
$166 44.1% $131
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Calarasi
$176 16.8% $36
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Calarasi
$143 15.6% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Calarasi
$126 25.5% $43
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Calarasi
$18 81.2% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Calarasi
$64 11.6% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $313 in Calarasi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Calarasi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $33 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $166 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇴 Calarasi
🕒 Local time
00:41 12:41 AM
07:41 7:41 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
65,181
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Calarasi 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Calarasi

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Calarasi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $884 in Calarasi – Calarasi comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Calarasi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,326 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Calarasi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calarasi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Calarasi?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $375 in Calarasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 79% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Calarasi?
Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Calarasi?
For expats, Calarasi is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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