Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guimaraes

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Guimaraes: $1,614 and $1,592 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Guimaraes
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,592
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guimaraes

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,592 in Guimaraes, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Guimaraes $1,592

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,304 in Guimaraes, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Guimaraes $2,304

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,015 in Guimaraes, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Guimaraes $3,015

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

Both Medellin and Guimaraes sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Guimaraes by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$13.07 €11.63
-39.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$50.3 €44.72
-8.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$8.78 €7.81
8.20%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$1.86 €1.66
67.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.90 €1.69
-3.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.31 €1.16
5.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$2.20 €1.95
38.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$2.80 €2.49
96.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.11 €0.99
30.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.85 €1.64
27.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.73 €1.54
-2.89%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$3.02 €2.68
-5.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$12.31 €10.95
-17.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$7.99 €7.10
19.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$14.76 €13.13
-4.88%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$1.98 €1.76
105.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.33 €1.18
12.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.85 €1.65
17.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$2.47 €2.19
-6.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.98 €1.76
-2.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.82 €1.62
-9.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.54 €1.37
-26.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.95 €0.84
31.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$6.28 €5.59
-36.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$4.36 €3.87
206.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.34 €1.19
26.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$2.20 €1.96
7.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$2.50 €2.23
-51.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$31.14 €27.70
145.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$4.20 €3.74
-68.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.46 €1.30
46.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$16.28 €14.48
-47.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$2.13 €1.89
-38.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$32.9K €29.2K
-14.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$38.6K €34.3K
-8.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$108 €95.8
59.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$16.83 €14.97
-20.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$46.56 €41.41
-38.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$42.56 €37.86
6.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$22.76 €20.25
-25.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$9.16 €8.14
-31.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$385 €343
99.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$6,487 €5,770
38.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$73.0 €64.9
18.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$36.68 €32.63
55.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$84.2 €74.9
62.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$96.1 €85.5
1.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$932 €829
13.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$740 €659
-16.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,314 €1,169
44.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,059 €942
-3.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,768 €2,462
46.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,241 €1,993
-25.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Guimaraes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$1,381 €1,228
-52.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.7
195.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guimaraes: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Guimaraes
$740 20.2% $125
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Guimaraes
$254 13.7% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Guimaraes
$171 20.1% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Guimaraes
$130 23.3% $40
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Guimaraes
$183 8.5% $14
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Guimaraes
$53 43.5% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Guimaraes
$61 5.3% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $932 in Guimaraes. 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 112% higher in Guimaraes, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $50.0 in Guimaraes. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $254 in Guimaraes – so Guimaraes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇹 Guimaraes
🕒 Local time
17:15 5:15 PM
23:15 11:15 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
156,849
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Guimaraes 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Guimaraes

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 Guimaraes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Guimaraes?
Medellin costs about 1% more than Guimaraes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Medellin and in Guimaraes?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,389 in Guimaraes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Guimaraes?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guimaraes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Guimaraes?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $50.0 in Guimaraes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Guimaraes?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,592 in Guimaraes. That's a gap of about 1%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Medellin or in Guimaraes?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guimaraes, where all-in costs run around $1,592, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Guimaraes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Guimaraes?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guimaraes costs $1,592 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Medellin compared to Guimaraes?
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.
Should I move to Medellin or to Guimaraes?
If budget matters most, go with Guimaraes. 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.

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