Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iernut

For one person, living is cheaper in Iernut: $930 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Iernut, Romania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Iernut
🇷🇴 Romania
$930
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Iernut

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $930 in Iernut.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Iernut $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,434 in Iernut.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Iernut $1,434

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,939 in Iernut.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Iernut $1,939

Living in Medellin is roughly 76% more expensive than in Iernut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Iernut is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$8.91 RON 42.81
-9.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$42.80 RON 206
9.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$7.18 RON 34.52
32.31%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$2.19 RON 10.52
37.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$1.44 RON 6.93
25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$1.23 RON 5.91
14.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$2.14 RON 10.27
48.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$2.37 RON 11.37
142.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.39 RON 6.69
8.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.11 RON 5.35
114.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.46 RON 7.03
21.23%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$2.92 RON 14.03
-1.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$8.14 RON 39.12
25.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$5.77 RON 27.75
71.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$10.35 RON 49.74
35.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$0.99 RON 4.75
301.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.33 RON 6.37
16.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.46 RON 7.02
49.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$1.88 RON 9.05
15.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$0.71 RON 3.41
176.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$0.51 RON 2.46
211.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$0.87 RON 4.19
32.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.72 RON 3.44
72.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$5.93 RON 28.51
-33.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$7.44 RON 35.77
83.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.08 RON 5.18
53.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$1.62 RON 7.76
39.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$0.71 RON 3.39
64.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$21.72 RON 104
256.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$0.63 RON 3.01
101.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$0.62 RON 3.00
230.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$6.47 RON 31.10
32.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.81 RON 8.70
-25.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$29.0K RON 139.4K
17.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$25.8K RON 123.9K
34.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$101 RON 486
67.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$7.63 RON 36.69
77.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$7.97 RON 38.28
252.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$38.48 RON 185
13.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$20.63 RON 99.1
-16.67%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$6.51 RON 31.28
6.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$419 RON 2,013
90.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$6,990 RON 33.6K
30.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$51.7 RON 249
63.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$30.48 RON 146
90.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$75.3 RON 362
79.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$78.5 RON 377
24.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$382 RON 1,835
216.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$289 RON 1,388
122.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$604 RON 2,905
235.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$441 RON 2,119
129.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$1,857 RON 8,924
124.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$1,329 RON 6,386
43.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Iernut
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
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 Iernut: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Iernut
$289 55% $353
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Iernut
$194 34.7% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Iernut
$117 44.8% $95
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Iernut
$145 14.4% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Iernut
$106 37.2% $63
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Iernut
$28 69.8% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Iernut
$52 10.5% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $382 in Iernut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $43 in Iernut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $194 per month, with Iernut cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇴 Iernut
🕒 Local time
16:50 4:50 PM
23:50 11:50 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
9,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Iernut 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Iernut

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 Iernut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iernut cheaper than Medellin?
Iernut is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,396 in Iernut to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Iernut?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $382 in Iernut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Iernut?
Dining out is cheaper in Iernut – a meal for two runs $43 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Iernut?
All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $930 in Iernut – Iernut is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Iernut?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Iernut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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