Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,345 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,179 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $3,014 in Maldonado.

Living in Medellin is roughly 28% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Maldonado is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$14.69 UYU 591

-45.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$55.1 UYU 2,218

-12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$10.99 UYU 442

-11.10%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.53 UYU 182

-35.76%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$2.60 UYU 104

-25.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.62 UYU 146

-14.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.71 UYU 149

54.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.18 UYU 47.46

15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.79 UYU 112

-14.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.79 UYU 71.9

-5.03%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$4.03 UYU 162

-28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$14.37 UYU 578

-30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$11.63 UYU 468

-7.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$11.63 UYU 468

26.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.90 UYU 116

41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.18 UYU 87.6

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.83 UYU 73.5

16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$3.15 UYU 127

-29.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.04 UYU 82.2

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.99 UYU 80.1

-24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.40 UYU 56.4

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.89 UYU 76.1

-38.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.45 UYU 219

-28.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$8.01 UYU 322

80.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-30.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.74 UYU 110

3.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.36 UYU 54.9

-13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$49.26 UYU 1,982

57.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.42 UYU 138

-62.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.43 UYU 17.41

386.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$9.98 UYU 402

-13.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.94 UYU 78.2

-32.99%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

0.73%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-4.05%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$113 UYU 4,552

55.65%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$16.99 UYU 684

-21.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$45.82 UYU 1,844

-34.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$48.71 UYU 1,960

-8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$30.07 UYU 1,210

-43.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$12.35 UYU 497

-49.80%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$492 UYU 19.8K

61.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

34.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$90.6 UYU 3,647

-5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$37.96 UYU 1,527

54.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$122 UYU 4,900

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$117 UYU 4,693

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$427 UYU 17.2K

148.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$317 UYU 12.8K

114.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$910 UYU 36.6K

121.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$587 UYU 23.6K

99.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

-33.99%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $427 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $321 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Maldonado differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,345 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Maldonado. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $427 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.