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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 24% less than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Maldonado 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$16.02 UYU 645

-62.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$54.8 UYU 2,205

-39.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$11.03 UYU 444

-35.72%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$4.15 UYU 167

-58.80%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$2.27 UYU 91.3

-51.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.75 UYU 70.7

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.39 UYU 96.3

-29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.69 UYU 149

-16.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.13 UYU 45.41

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$2.86 UYU 115

-55.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.55 UYU 62.3

-10.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$4.63 UYU 186

-52.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.74 UYU 553

-67.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$10.77 UYU 434

-47.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$10.97 UYU 442

-18.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.19 UYU 88.2

6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.39 UYU 96.2

-55.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.57 UYU 63.4

-4.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$3.54 UYU 142

-61.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.77 UYU 71.4

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.93 UYU 77.6

-39.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.20 UYU 48.24

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.61 UYU 64.9

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$5.25 UYU 212

-56.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$3.55 UYU 143

199.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.88 UYU 75.8

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.65 UYU 107

-6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.32 UYU 53.2

-34.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$44.20 UYU 1,780

-6.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.49 UYU 60.2

-1.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$2.10 UYU 84.5

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$11.22 UYU 452

-31.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.81 UYU 73.0

-47.51%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

-47.28%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-25.95%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$155 UYU 6,262

-47.10%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$16.93 UYU 682

-43.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$43.30 UYU 1,744

-44.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$45.88 UYU 1,848

-43.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$29.76 UYU 1,199

-36.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.95 UYU 320

-50.57%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$478 UYU 19.2K

-35.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

-17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$85.1 UYU 3,427

-31.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$46.83 UYU 1,886

-30.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$88.9 UYU 3,581

15.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$91.4 UYU 3,682

18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$366 UYU 14.7K

30.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$285 UYU 11.5K

32.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$890 UYU 35.8K

-5.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$600 UYU 24.2K

20.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

82.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

-6.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$886 UYU 35.7K

-42.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.68

136.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 73% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $297 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,325 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Maldonado earns 73% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,325 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.