Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Craiova Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Craiova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,219 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,775 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,331 in Craiova.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Craiova is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.47 RON 34.28

7.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$37.52 RON 172

27.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.73 RON 35.45

27.94%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.87 RON 13.18

9.06%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.31 RON 10.59

-17.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.90 RON 8.73

-20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.45 RON 11.26

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.61 RON 16.58

59.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.32 RON 6.06

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.92 RON 4.22

170.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.50 RON 6.86

18.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.44 RON 15.77

-13.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.54 RON 34.60

33.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.70 RON 30.73

51.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.65 RON 53.5

22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.04 RON 4.79

298.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.52 RON 6.99

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.52 RON 6.99

48.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.90 RON 8.71

18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.86 RON 3.92

137.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.94 RON 4.32

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.77 RON 3.51

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.74 RON 3.38

77.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.70 RON 30.75

-41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.74 RON 30.90

107.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.18 RON 5.44

47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.60 RON 7.36

79.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.89 RON 4.08

37.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$26.08 RON 120

208.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.63 RON 2.88

107.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.64 RON 2.91

242.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$6.62 RON 30.37

31.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.88 RON 8.61

-27.13%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$29.6K RON 136.0K

-6.08%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.3K RON 125.1K

31.19%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$206 RON 947

-14.06%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.52 RON 48.28

31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$11.68 RON 53.6

154.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$41.43 RON 190

8.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$22.75 RON 104

-24.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.91 RON 36.28

-15.93%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$441 RON 2,025

84.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,696 RON 39.9K

5.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$58.8 RON 270

52.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$49.69 RON 228

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$82.6 RON 379

67.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$108 RON 497

-5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$536 RON 2,460

98.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$401 RON 1,840

65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$921 RON 4,225

105.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$618 RON 2,836

66.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,767 RON 12.7K

51.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,050 RON 9,407

-18.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$981 RON 4,500

-30.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.84

59.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Craiova: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $536 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 45% 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 $38.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $202 per month, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Craiova. 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 $536 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,219 in Craiova – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 209% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,219 in Craiova versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,219 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.