Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $656 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $656 in Machala.

Medellin $1,639
Machala $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Machala.

Medellin $2,413
Machala $1,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,435 in Machala.

Medellin $3,186
Machala $1,435

Living in Medellin is roughly 150% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Machala is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$2.81 $2.81

187.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$25.28 $25.28

86.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.21 $5.21

82.34%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.68 $2.68

12.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.86 $0.86

109.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.72 $0.72

95.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.03 $2.03

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.69 $3.69

55.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.04 $1.04

45.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.05 $1.05

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.91 $0.91

94.51%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.49 $1.49

93.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$3.23 $3.23

215.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.17 $4.17

136.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$4.72 $4.72

196.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.47 $1.47

170.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.59 $0.59

162.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.77 $0.77

183.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.58 $0.58

275.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.41 $0.41

378.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.48 $0.48

231.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.39 $0.39

194.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.99 $0.99

25.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.37 $4.37

-9.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$7.64 $7.64

79.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.57 $1.57

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.22 $2.22

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.34 $0.34

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$22.09 $22.09

250.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.53 $1.53

-16.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.73 $1.73

18.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$8.11 $8.11

5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.61 $0.61

121.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$17.7K $17.7K

92.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$22.0K $22.0K

57.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 COP 533.7K

$52.2 $52.2

225.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$14.97 $14.97

-9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$26.58 $26.58

5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$42.15 $42.15

3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$29.74 $29.74

-42.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.89 $4.89

41.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$797 COP 2.5M

$133 $133

499.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$5,675 $5,675

60.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$64.5 $64.5

31.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$39.94 $39.94

45.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$80.9 $80.9

66.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$68.6 $68.6

42.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$190 $190

534.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$133 $133

381.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$353 $353

475.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$264 $264

282.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$444 $444

48.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Machala

$133 20.3% 79.2% $508

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Machala

$135 20.6% 54.4% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Machala

$94 14.3% 55.6% $118

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Machala

$94 14.3% 44.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Machala

$114 17.4% 32.4% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Machala

$34 5.1% 64% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Machala

$52 7.9% 9.7% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $190 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $25 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $135 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

231,260

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Machala 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $190 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $656 in Machala – Machala is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $656 in Machala versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.