Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cantù Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cantù

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,803 in Cantù.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,788 in Cantù.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,772 in Cantù.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 7% less than in Cantù, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Cantù 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$22.90 €19.96

-64.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$93.0 €81.1

-48.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$11.65 €10.16

-15.11%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.87 €1.63

67.38%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.97 €2.59

-35.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.74 €1.52

-13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$5.92 €5.16

-47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$6.47 €5.64

-11.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.42 €1.24

1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.38 €2.07

4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.49 €3.04

-49.28%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.26 €3.72

-30.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$15.86 €13.82

-36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$13.41 €11.69

-24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$18.15 €15.82

-21.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.83 €2.47

46.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.68 €1.46

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.22 €2.81

-30.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.40 €2.09

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.02 €1.76

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.82 €1.59

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.71 €1.49

-31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.66 €0.57

98.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.80 €5.93

-42.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.65 €4.92

147.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.95 €0.83

83.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.62 €1.41

77.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.86 €1.62

-34.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$39.70 €34.61

102.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.81 €5.07

-77.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.32 €2.02

-5.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$40.71 €35.49

-78.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.12 €1.85

-35.38%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$37.5K €32.7K

-25.87%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$36.5K €31.8K

-1.95%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$200 €175

-11.49%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$14.03 €12.23

-1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$28.60 €24.93

3.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$53.1 €46.31

-15.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$24.66 €21.50

-30.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$12.18 €10.62

-45.40%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$750 €654

8.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,352 €6,409

24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$96.6 €84.2

-7.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$44.10 €38.44

33.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$136 €119

1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$169 €148

-39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$764 €666

39.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$517 €451

28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,198 €1,044

57.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$936 €816

9.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,428 €2,988

22.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,905 €1,660

-12.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,920 €2,545

-76.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.4

221.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cantù: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $764 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 331% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $93.0 in Cantù for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $331 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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Cantù differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,803 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 331% lower in Cantù. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $764 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $750 in Cantù. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cantù. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,803 in Cantù, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cantù. 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 Cantù 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 7% less than in Cantù. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.