Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Madeira Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Madeira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,633 in Madeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,344 in Madeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,055 in Madeira.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than in Madeira, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Madeira 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$11.53 €9.94

-30.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$46.11 €39.74

4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.37 €8.08

0.53%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.06 €1.78

42.72%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.94 €1.68

-4.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.36 €1.17

7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.33 €2.01

37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.39 €2.92

68.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.11 €0.96

29.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.52 €1.31

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.66 €1.43

2.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.08 €2.66

-6.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.42 €9.85

-11.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.70 €6.64

29.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$13.99 €12.06

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.37 €2.04

67.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.44 €1.24

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.83 €1.58

17.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.48 €2.14

-7.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.46 €1.26

36.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.84 €1.59

-17.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.59 €1.37

-24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.78 €0.68

64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.21 €5.36

-38.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.16 €4.45

171.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.25 €1.07

36.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.29 €1.97

19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$2.36 €2.03

-47.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$42.88 €36.97

81.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.28 €3.69

-69.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.82 €0.71

164.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$17.54 €15.12

-52.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.93 €1.66

-29.53%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$34.7K €29.9K

-20.86%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$40.0K €34.5K

-8.69%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$132 €114

27.38%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$21.18 €18.25

-35.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$42.41 €36.56

-33.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$43.51 €37.50

5.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.60 €7.41

-22.67%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$468 €403

71.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,477 €7,308

8.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$73.6 €63.4

18.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$37.95 €32.71

56.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$93.4 €80.5

48.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$93.4 €80.5

9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$933 €804

14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$743 €641

-12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,454 €1,253

32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,136 €980

-7.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,069 €2,646

34.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,337 €2,015

-27.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.01

118.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Madeira: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $933 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $245 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madeira is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $2,449 in Madeira 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $933 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,633 in Madeira – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Madeira runs roughly 82% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,633 in Madeira versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Madeira but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Madeira is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Madeira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.