Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dili

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Dili: $1,589 and $1,574 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dili

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,574 in Dili, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Dili $1,574

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,466 in Dili, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Dili $2,466

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $3,359 in Dili, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Dili $3,359

Medellin costs about 1% more than Dili, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Dili sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Dili by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$5.13 $5.13

56.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$42.43 $42.43

9.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$7.91 $7.91

19.22%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$4.18 $4.18

-30.38%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.63 $1.63

7.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$2.76 $2.76

-52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.57 $2.57

21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$4.46 $4.46

24.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$2.37 $2.37

-40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$2.52 $2.52

-3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$0.96 $0.96

69.79%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$2.68 $2.68

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$2.05 $2.05

372.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$9.41 $9.41

-0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$15.78 $15.78

-14.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$3.29 $3.29

21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$1.85 $1.85

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.49 $2.49

-14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$2.26 $2.26

-0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$1.24 $1.24

54.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$1.15 $1.15

40.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.85 $0.85

35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.98 $0.98

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$3.08 $3.08

24.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$11.95 $11.95

9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$2.19 $2.19

-26.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.89 $2.89

-21.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.24 $0.24

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$29.78 $29.78

151.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$3.52 $3.52

-63.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$3.58 $3.58

-42.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$19.75 $19.75

-58.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.44 $1.44

-11.81%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$18.0K $18.0K

48.90%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$16.7K $16.7K

105.74%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$152 $152

6.89%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$27.49 $27.49

-52.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$49.46 $49.46

-10.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$6.17 $6.17

-1.30%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$1,477 $1,477

-48.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$16.1K $16.1K

-44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$61.0 $61.0

39.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$30.46 $30.46

88.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$79.3 $79.3

66.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$60.3 $60.3

58.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$831 $831

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$759 $759

-20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$2,739 $2,739

-34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,504 $1,504

-34.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$3,656 $3,656

-82.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.37

103.72%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Dili

$759 47.9% 25.6% $155

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Dili

$275 17.3% 4.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Dili

$179 * 11.3% 11.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Dili

$104 6.6% 37.6% $63

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Dili

$154 9.7% 7.2% $12

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Dili

$52 3.3% 42.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Dili

$62 3.9% 9.4% $5.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $831 in Dili. 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 484% higher in Dili, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $42.00 in Dili. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $275 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇱 Dili

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

16:04 4:04 PM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

222,323 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dili 17,670 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dili

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 Dili: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,361 in Dili. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $42.00 in Dili. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,574 in Dili. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dili – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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