Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Galati

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,190 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Galati, Romania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Galati
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,190
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Galati

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,190 in Galati, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Galati $1,190

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,683 in Galati, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Galati $1,683

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,176 in Galati, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Galati $2,176

Medellin costs about 38% more than Galati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Galati is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$10.62 RON 50.6
-23.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$41.85 RON 199
12.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.37 RON 35.10
28.90%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$2.52 RON 12.00
19.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.10 RON 10.02
-14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$1.86 RON 8.87
-24.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$2.06 RON 9.83
54.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$3.18 RON 15.14
80.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.19 RON 5.67
26.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$0.70 RON 3.32
240.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.77 RON 8.43
-
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$3.40 RON 16.22
-15.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$7.49 RON 35.68
36.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$5.91 RON 28.15
67.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$8.54 RON 40.68
63.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.29 RON 6.12
207.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.61 RON 7.66
-3.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.51 RON 7.20
44.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$1.76 RON 8.38
23.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$0.96 RON 4.56
104.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.01 RON 4.79
57.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$0.80 RON 3.83
43.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.67 RON 3.18
85.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.84 RON 27.82
-32.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$5.31 RON 25.31
157.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$0.95 RON 4.52
74.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$1.18 RON 5.63
91.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Galati
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$0.77 RON 3.65
51.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$26.96 RON 128
186.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.60 RON 2.88
111.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$0.70 RON 3.34
192.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$7.10 RON 33.85
20.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.71 RON 8.15
-21.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$28.5K RON 135.6K
19.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$24.7K RON 117.5K
40.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$146 RON 695
16.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$7.61 RON 36.27
78.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$7.70 RON 36.68
264.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$36.70 RON 175
19.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$34.89 RON 166
-50.73%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$6.24 RON 29.75
10.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$601 RON 2,865
32.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$4,839 RON 23.1K
88.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$97.2 RON 463
-12.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$31.71 RON 151
82.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$60.9 RON 290
121.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$83.6 RON 399
17.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Galati
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$514 RON 2,451
134.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$471 RON 2,244
36.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$778 RON 3,705
160.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$550 RON 2,623
83.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,723 RON 8,210
142.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,324 RON 6,309
44.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Galati
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$911 RON 4,341
-27.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
7.2
51.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Galati: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Galati
$471 26.6% $171
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Galati
$182 38.7% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Galati
$161 23.7% $50
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Galati
$170 0.1% $0.2
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Galati
$123 27.2% $46
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Galati
$34 63.5% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Galati
$49 14.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $514 in Galati. 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 39% higher in Galati, 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 in Medellin versus $42 in Galati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $182 – making Galati the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇴 Galati
🕒 Local time
12:29 12:29 PM
19:29 7:29 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
249,432
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Galati 10,560 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Galati

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 Galati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Galati compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,190 in Galati – Galati comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Galati?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,785 in Galati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Galati?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Galati, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $514 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Galati?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,190 in Galati. That makes Galati about 27% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in Galati?
Public transport costs about 65% less in Galati. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to Galati?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,190 in Galati, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Medellin or Galati?
Families tend to lean toward Galati – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Galati?
For expats, Galati is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 27% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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