Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Focsani

For one person, living is cheaper in Focsani: $1,022 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Focsani
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,022
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Focsani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,022 in Focsani.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Focsani $1,022

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,645 in Focsani.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Focsani $1,645

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $2,268 in Focsani.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Focsani $2,268

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Focsani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Focsani is 24% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$7.15 RON 33.85
10.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$42.05 RON 199
9.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$7.21 RON 34.11
31.76%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$2.50 RON 11.84
24.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.93 RON 9.15
-5.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.59 RON 7.50
-13.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$1.92 RON 9.07
58.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$2.56 RON 12.11
114.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.65 RON 7.82
-12.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.11 RON 5.24
112.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.23 RON 5.83
36.59%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$3.15 RON 14.89
-9.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$8.72 RON 41.26
16.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$6.86 RON 32.45
38.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$10.66 RON 50.4
31.71%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$1.16 RON 5.48
250.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.55 RON 7.35
-3.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.55 RON 7.32
40.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$2.28 RON 10.77
1.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$0.83 RON 3.92
132.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$0.74 RON 3.50
121.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$0.61 RON 2.87
85.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.71 RON 3.37
76.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$5.92 RON 28.01
-32.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$4.23 RON 20.00
215.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.14 RON 5.39
49.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$1.48 RON 7.00
60.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$0.83 RON 3.91
45.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$15.66 RON 74.1
388.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$0.65 RON 3.08
103.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$0.65 RON 3.06
229.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$6.43 RON 30.42
31.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.88 RON 8.89
-30.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$24.8K RON 117.1K
13.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$24.2K RON 114.5K
46.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$170 RON 806
1.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$8.23 RON 38.96
62.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$9.13 RON 43.22
214.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$27.99 RON 132
61.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$36.72 RON 174
-53.59%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$8.51 RON 40.28
-26.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$312 RON 1,478
146.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$14.6K RON 69.1K
-38.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$89.2 RON 422
-3.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$38.34 RON 181
49.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$80.3 RON 380
70.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$90.5 RON 428
8.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$365 RON 1,726
189.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$292 RON 1,381
110.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$909 RON 4,300
108.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$638 RON 3,020
60.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$1,060 RON 5,014
283.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$872 RON 4,125
92.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Focsani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$690 RON 3,263
-5.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.75
62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Focsani: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Focsani
$292 52.6% $324
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Focsani
$202 31.4% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Focsani
$188 12.4% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Focsani
$134 21.1% $36
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Focsani
$138 18.2% $31
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Focsani
$23 75.5% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Focsani
$45 22.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $365 in Focsani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Focsani pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Focsani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $202 per month, with Focsani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇴 Focsani
🕒 Local time
19:18 7:18 PM
03:18 3:18 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
97,186
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Focsani 10,490 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Focsani

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 Focsani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Focsani?
Focsani wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Focsani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Focsani?
On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Focsani. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Focsani?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $365 in Focsani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Focsani?
Dining out is cheaper in Focsani – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Focsani?
All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $1,022 in Focsani – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Medellin or in Focsani?
At $1,022 in Focsani versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Focsani but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Focsani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Focsani?
Both work as nomad bases, but Focsani delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,022 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Focsani hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Focsani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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