Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cortona Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cortona

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $1,709 in Cortona, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $2,560 in Cortona, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $3,411 in Cortona, rent included.

Medellin is about 41% cheaper than Cortona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% below the global median, while Cortona is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 19.1K

$13.92 €12.09

-57.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 106.5K

$75.2 €65.3

-56.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 24.0K

$11.60 €10.08

-35.95%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,343

$1.75 €1.52

-5.71%

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

$1.10 COP 3,559

$2.53 €2.20

-56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,523

$1.26 €1.10

-38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,553

$5.87 €5.10

-70.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.07 €4.41

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,565

$1.69 €1.47

-34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,066

$2.15 €1.87

-41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,463

$3.11 €2.70

-55.63%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 7,038

$4.56 €3.96

-52.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.5K

$17.35 €15.07

-74.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.7K

$11.93 €10.37

-51.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 29.0K

$20.44 €17.76

-56.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,499

$2.36 €2.05

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,440

$2.25 €1.95

-52.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,899

$2.01 €1.74

-24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,381

$2.67 €2.32

-49.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,645

$1.80 €1.57

-37.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,785

$1.85 €1.61

-36.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,912

$1.26 €1.09

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,897

$0.55 €0.48

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,218

$6.97 €6.06

-68.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 39.2K

$10.34 €8.99

17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,841

$1.84 €1.60

-35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,020

$2.78 €2.41

-10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,758

$1.76 €1.53

-51.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 134.5K

$42.78 €37.17

-2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,575

$5.27 €4.58

-73.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,302

$1.42 €1.23

37.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.5K

$34.09 €29.62

-76.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,200

$1.93 €1.67

-48.70%

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

$17.6K COP 56.9M

$28.8K €25.0K

-38.84%

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

$26.8K COP 86.6M

$29.3K €25.4K

-8.45%

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

$83.0 COP 268.2K

$219 €190

-62.11%

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

$9.70 COP 31.3K

$10.80 €9.38

-10.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 76.0K

$30.54 €26.54

-22.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 81.6K

$55.1 €47.89

-54.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 61.7K

$23.11 €20.08

-17.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.8K

$11.65 €10.12

-66.09%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$288 €250

9.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.3M

$10.7K €9,259

-43.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 193.8K

$74.9 €65.1

-19.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 102.8K

$34.38 €29.87

-7.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 328.5K

$85.3 €74.1

19.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 347.2K

$123 €107

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$764 €663

-37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$587 €510

-36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,200 €1,043

-29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$919 €798

-21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.5M

$2,360 €2,050

38.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.7M

$2,846 €2,472

-49.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$3,224 €2,801

-80.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.95

240.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cortona: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $764 in Cortona. 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 416% higher in Cortona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $75.0 in Cortona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $345 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cortona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,003 in Medellin, $1,709 in Cortona – roughly 70% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,504 per month in Medellin and $2,564 in Cortona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $316 per month in Medellin and $288 in Cortona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Cortona at $1,709. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cortona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,003 in Medellin to $1,709 in Cortona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cortona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.