Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mataro Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mataro

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $1,849 in Mataro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $2,723 in Mataro, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $3,597 in Mataro, rent included.

Medellin is about 9% cheaper than Mataro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Mataro sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Mataro by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$17.10 €14.63

-53.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$57.9 €49.53

-23.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$14.03 €12.00

-33.78%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.15 €1.84

34.88%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$2.53 €2.17

-28.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.94 €1.66

-20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$3.98 €3.41

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$3.44 €2.95

70.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.20 €1.02

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$2.30 €1.96

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.59 €1.36

-5.03%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$4.08 €3.49

-31.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$16.65 €14.24

-45.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$9.21 €7.88

15.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$13.71 €11.73

6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.95 €2.52

34.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$2.25 €1.93

-38.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.52 €2.16

-8.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$2.80 €2.40

-27.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$2.11 €1.81

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$2.24 €1.92

-27.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.49 €1.27

-27.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.91 €0.78

37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$6.22 €5.32

-35.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$5.74 €4.91

134.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.22 €1.04

31.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.68 €2.29

11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$2.59 €2.21

-54.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$35.67 €30.52

124.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$2.44 €2.08

-34.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.06 €0.91

100.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$30.52 €26.11

-72.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.74 €1.49

-22.41%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$36.4K €31.1K

-22.19%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$30.5K €26.1K

16.93%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$186 €159

-18.45%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$12.61 €10.79

3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$29.74 €25.44

8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$63.4 €54.3

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$14.22 €12.17

21.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$10.99 €9.40

-41.49%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$522 €447

59.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$8,208 €7,021

8.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$85.3 €73.0

4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$40.08 €34.28

38.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$94.9 €81.2

43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$108 €92.6

1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$967 €828

-1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$798 €682

-16.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$1,409 €1,205

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$1,231 €1,053

-6.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$3,409 €2,916

8.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$2,846 €2,434

-44.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$1,886 €1,614

-66.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

3.12

234.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Mataro: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $967 in Mataro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 202% higher in Mataro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin versus $58.0 in Mataro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,687 in Medellin, $1,849 in Mataro – roughly 10% apart. Mataro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $2,774 in Mataro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 124% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $835 per month in Medellin and $522 in Mataro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in Mataro at $1,849. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mataro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,687 in Medellin to $1,849 in Mataro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mataro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.