Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and L'Aquila

For one person, living is cheaper in L’Aquila: $1,571 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
L'Aquila, Italy
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
L'Aquila
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,571
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in L'Aquila

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,571 in L’Aquila, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • L'Aquila $1,571

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,444 in L’Aquila, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • L'Aquila $2,444

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,316 in L’Aquila, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • L'Aquila $3,316

Medellin costs about 8% more than L’Aquila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and L’Aquila sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, L’Aquila by 16%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$22.17 €19.83
-62.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$67.5 €60.4
-31.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$13.69 €12.25
-30.83%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.86 €1.66
68.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,704
$2.75 €2.46
-35.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,600
$1.09 €0.98
30.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$5.64 €5.05
-44.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$4.36 €3.90
30.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,949
$1.43 €1.28
6.99%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,399
$2.96 €2.65
-22.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,281
$2.29 €2.05
-15.28%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,902
$3.55 €3.17
-13.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$25.76 €23.05
-61.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$11.83 €10.59
-11.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$17.49 €15.65
-20.18%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.87 €1.68
116.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,936
$1.90 €1.70
-19.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,795
$2.18 €1.95
-3.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,407
$2.93 €2.62
-21.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,812
$1.67 €1.49
26.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,519
$1.84 €1.65
-7.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,779
$1.62 €1.45
-27.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,102
$0.36 €0.33
338.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$6.38 €5.71
-38.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$5.73 €5.13
145.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,689
$1.33 €1.19
32.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,758
$2.01 €1.80
34.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,810
$1.66 €1.48
-28.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$38.84 €34.75
96.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,835
$5.51 €4.93
-67.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,876
$1.49 €1.33
42.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$24.34 €21.78
-66.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,118
$1.98 €1.77
-35.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$34.9K €31.2K
-1.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$35.6K €31.8K
-4.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.9K
$174 €156
2.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$14.78 €13.23
-6.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$30.55 €27.34
0.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$55.8 €49.94
-24.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$27.46 €24.57
-38.82%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$8.54 €7.64
-12.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$132 €118
498.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$12.4K €11.1K
-0.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.8K
$101 €90.3
-14.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$35.54 €31.80
66.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.7K
$98.1 €87.8
41.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.1K
$109 €97.2
-9.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$552 €494
142.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$431 €386
54.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$829 €742
138.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$700 €626
47.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$2,780 €2,488
47.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,674 €1,498
15.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
L'Aquila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$1,906 €1,706
-66.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.02
262.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for L'Aquila: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
L'Aquila
$431 35.4% $236
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
L'Aquila
$342 11.3% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
L'Aquila
$219 1.4% $3
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
L'Aquila
$293 69.7% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
L'Aquila
$154 10.3% $18
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
L'Aquila
$58 37.5% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
L'Aquila
$73 28.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $552 in L’Aquila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in L’Aquila are about 3 times higher, 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 $68 in L’Aquila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $342 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇹 L'Aquila
🕒 Local time
10:45 10:45 AM
16:45 4:45 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
69,753
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin L'Aquila 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • L'Aquila

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 L'Aquila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in L’Aquila compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $1,571 in L’Aquila – L’Aquila comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to L’Aquila?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,356 in L’Aquila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and L’Aquila?
Rent is clearly cheaper in L’Aquila, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $552 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in L’Aquila?
Public transport costs about 49% less in L’Aquila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and L’Aquila?
Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $132 in L’Aquila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to L’Aquila?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,571 in L’Aquila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Medellin or L’Aquila?
Families tend to lean toward L’Aquila – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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