Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $3,734 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Dublin
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,734
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dublin

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $3,734 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Dublin $3,734

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $5,273 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Dublin $5,273

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $6,811 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Dublin $6,811

Medellin is about 57% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Dublin sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Dublin by 179%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.8K
$23.89 €21.30
-66.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 149.9K
$102 €90.5
-54.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.4K
$13.62 €12.15
-30.76%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,374
$4.90 €4.37
-40.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,643
$2.88 €2.57
-39.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,263
$2.16 €1.92
-38.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$7.64 €6.82
-59.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.9K
$7.47 €6.66
-25.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,542
$1.68 €1.50
-16.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,858
$2.44 €2.17
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,245
$2.05 €1.82
-20.49%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 9,084
$4.86 €4.34
-41.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 31.2K
$10.03 €8.94
-3.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 30.0K
$12.98 €11.58
-28.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 43.3K
$16.31 €14.54
-17.47%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.9K
$2.85 €2.54
40.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,768
$2.18 €1.94
-32.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,839
$2.68 €2.39
-20.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,253
$5.39 €4.81
-58.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,155
$1.86 €1.66
2.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,214
$1.50 €1.33
8.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$1.30 €1.16
-11.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,063
$2.03 €1.81
-37.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.3K
$21.45 €19.13
-82.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 42.2K
$13.70 €12.22
-4.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,136
$3.34 €2.98
-52.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,263
$3.58 €3.19
-36.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$2.29 €2.04
-48.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 241.5K
$106 €94.8
-29.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,098
$5.30 €4.72
-76.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,600
$1.55 €1.38
32.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.4K
$37.18 €33.15
-77.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,088
$2.16 €1.92
-41.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 86.2M
$39.0K €34.8K
-31.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$39.6K €35.3K
-13.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 522.3K
$276 €246
-41.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 42.3K
$18.01 €16.06
-27.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 90.5K
$52.0 €46.38
-46.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 142.7K
$68.8 €61.4
-35.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.6K
$20.99 €18.71
-22.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.6K
$16.00 €14.27
-61.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.5M
$1,296 €1,155
-41.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.7M
$14.3K €12.7K
-37.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 273.6K
$107 €95.5
-20.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 185.1K
$50.2 €44.73
14.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 424.2K
$112 €100
17.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 308.3K
$132 €118
-27.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$2,465 €2,197
-58.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$2,179 €1,943
-72.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.8M
$4,492 €4,005
-59.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$3,520 €3,139
-71.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.6M
$9,511 €8,480
-58.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.3M
$5,656 €5,043
-71.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Dublin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
$3,795 €3,384
-83.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.82
186.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Dublin
$2.2K 261% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Dublin
$367 27.2% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Dublin
$346 69.9% $142
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Dublin
$181 8.7% $14
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Dublin
$364 119% $198
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Dublin
$129 40.9% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Dublin
$101 78.5% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,465 in Dublin. 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 506% higher in Dublin, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $102 in Dublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $367 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇪 Dublin
🕒 Local time
01:10 1:10 AM
07:10 7:10 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
588,233 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Dublin 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Dublin

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 Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Dublin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Medellin, $3,734 in Dublin – roughly 135% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Dublin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $5,601 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Dublin?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $102 in Dublin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Dublin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $3,734 in Dublin. That's a gap of about 135%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Dublin at $3,734. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Dublin?
It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Medellin to $3,734 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Medellin or Dublin safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Medellin and Dublin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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