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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,621 in Madeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,384 in Madeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $3,148 in Madeira.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 36% less than in Madeira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Madeira is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 19.8K

$11.60 €10.17

-46.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 104.8K

$46.26 €40.56

-29.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.6K

$9.37 €8.22

-21.66%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,527

$2.18 €1.91

-21.10%

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

$1.05 COP 3,376

$1.87 €1.64

-43.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,482

$1.38 €1.21

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,417

$2.36 €2.07

-28.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$3.55 €3.11

-10.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,379

$1.09 €0.96

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,181

$1.59 €1.39

-18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,485

$1.66 €1.46

-15.66%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,956

$3.15 €2.76

-31.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.1K

$11.14 €9.76

-60.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 18.9K

$7.56 €6.63

-22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$13.99 €12.27

-38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,330

$2.30 €2.01

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,557

$1.49 €1.31

-25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,918

$1.77 €1.55

-13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,353

$2.51 €2.20

-46.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,627

$1.48 €1.30

-23.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,644

$1.85 €1.62

-38.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,717

$1.60 €1.40

-46.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,937

$0.80 €0.70

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,531

$6.18 €5.42

-62.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 39.7K

$5.33 €4.68

132.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,859

$1.31 €1.15

-8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,000

$2.33 €2.04

6.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,692

$2.29 €2.01

-63.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 130.4K

$41.94 €36.77

-3.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,563

$4.25 €3.72

-66.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,155

$0.82 €0.72

134.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.6K

$17.49 €15.34

-56.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,181

$1.90 €1.66

-47.89%

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

$18.0K COP 57.9M

$34.4K €30.2K

-47.61%

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

$26.6K COP 85.6M

$38.8K €34.0K

-31.39%

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

$80.8 COP 259.7K

$133 €117

-39.40%

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

$9.95 COP 32.0K

$21.25 €18.63

-53.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 77.7K

$42.37 €37.15

-42.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 80.6K

$44.86 €39.33

-44.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 61.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 12.8K

$8.28 €7.26

-51.93%

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

$305 COP 980.7K

$464 €407

-34.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.5M

$8,467 €7,424

-28.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 186.8K

$72.8 €63.8

-20.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 103.5K

$39.07 €34.26

-17.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.7K

$93.4 €81.9

7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 346.3K

$92.2 €80.8

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$921 €808

-48.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$738 €647

-49.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,470 €1,289

-42.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.3M

$1,161 €1,018

-37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.3M

$2,988 €2,619

7.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.4M

$2,359 €2,068

-41.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.01

168.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Madeira: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $921 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $245 per month, with Medellin 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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $2,431 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: $477 in Medellin versus $921 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $1,621 in Madeira – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 3% less than in Madeira. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,621 in Madeira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Madeira. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madeira, 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Madeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.