Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cosenza Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cosenza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,491 in Cosenza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,256 in Cosenza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,022 in Cosenza.

Living in Medellin is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cosenza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Cosenza 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$17.31 €14.92

-53.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.9K

$58.0 €50.0

-16.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

$11.79 €10.16

-20.10%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,056

$1.88 €1.62

56.38%

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

$1.86 COP 5,745

$2.43 €2.09

-23.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,487

$1.18 €1.01

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,899

$5.69 €4.91

-43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.79 €4.13

19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,436

$1.18 €1.02

22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,401

$1.93 €1.66

24.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,237

$2.67 €2.31

-36.33%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,911

$3.49 €3.01

-17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$13.37 €11.52

-24.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$11.78 €10.15

-15.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.8K

$15.78 €13.60

-10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.44 €2.10

63.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,886

$2.10 €1.81

-24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,635

$2.24 €1.93

-4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,090

$3.46 €2.98

-33.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,179

$1.35 €1.16

48.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,654

$1.66 €1.43

-9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,707

$1.30 €1.12

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,953

$0.45 €0.39

184.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.99 €6.03

-45.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.2K

$7.38 €6.36

89.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,265

$1.81 €1.56

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,454

$3.04 €2.62

-9.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,840

$1.37 €1.18

-8.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.2K

$32.13 €27.69

142.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,023

$4.73 €4.08

-72.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,692

$1.25 €1.07

73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

$22.83 €19.67

-63.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,179

$2.08 €1.79

-34.62%

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

$27.5K COP 84.7M

$31.8K €27.4K

-13.73%

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

$36.5K COP 112.6M

$31.1K €26.8K

17.39%

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

$169 COP 520.1K

$211 €182

-20.05%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.59 €8.27

41.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.3K

$31.35 €27.02

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.9K

$47.49 €40.93

-3.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.1K

$17.53 €15.11

-1.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.88 €7.66

-25.11%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$306 €263

162.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$2,881 €2,483

218.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.3K

$87.9 €75.7

-0.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.0K

$42.16 €36.34

40.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.2K

$107 €92.5

29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.6K

$121 €104

-15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$525 €453

103.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$391 €337

67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$953 €822

101.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$680 €586

54.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,891 €1,630

118.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,318 €1,136

28.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,587 €1,368

-58.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.09

254.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cosenza: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $525 in Cosenza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cosenza pays 142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $58.0 in Cosenza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $301 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 Cosenza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Cosenza differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,491 including rent). Cosenza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 142% lower in Cosenza. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $525 in Cosenza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $306 in Cosenza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,491 in Cosenza versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cosenza but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cosenza 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 Cosenza 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 Cosenza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.