Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montijo

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,860 in Montijo, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montijo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Montijo, Portugal
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Montijo
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,860
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Montijo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Montijo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,860 in Montijo, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Montijo $1,860

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,609 in Montijo, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Montijo $2,609

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,358 in Montijo, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Montijo $3,358

Medellin is about 9% cheaper than Montijo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Montijo sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Montijo by 38%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$12.31 €10.95
-32.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$44.30 €39.43
5.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$8.80 €7.83
7.61%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$2.55 €2.27
22.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,696
$2.12 €1.89
-16.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,594
$1.71 €1.52
-16.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$3.28 €2.92
-3.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$3.96 €3.53
43.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,943
$1.31 €1.17
16.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,389
$2.22 €1.97
3.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,273
$2.04 €1.81
-4.90%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,889
$3.50 €3.12
-12.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$10.73 €9.55
-6.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$7.05 €6.27
48.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$15.17 €13.50
-7.98%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.78 €2.47
45.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,929
$1.43 €1.27
6.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,786
$1.80 €1.60
16.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$2.72 €2.42
-15.81%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,803
$1.55 €1.38
36.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,512
$2.15 €1.91
-20.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,774
$1.67 €1.48
-29.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,096
$0.79 €0.70
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$5.93 €5.28
-34.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$6.57 €5.85
113.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,682
$0.94 €0.84
87.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,746
$1.52 €1.35
78.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,805
$2.20 €1.96
-46.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.0K
$44.56 €39.66
71.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,827
$2.23 €1.98
-18.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,867
$1.07 €0.95
99.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$16.59 €14.76
-50.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,113
$2.08 €1.85
-38.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$33.2K €29.5K
3.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$38.6K €34.3K
-11.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.2K
$134 €119
32.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$21.09 €18.77
-34.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.1K
$58.1 €51.7
-47.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.3K
$22.07 €19.64
90.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$16.64 €14.81
0.96%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$7.70 €6.85
-2.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$461 €410
71.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$11.5K €10.2K
7.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.4K
$65.8 €58.5
31.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.1K
$38.12 €33.92
55.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.2K
$70.6 €62.8
96.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.7K
$96.2 €85.6
2.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,182 €1,052
13.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$972 €865
-31.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,680 €1,495
17.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,407 €1,252
-26.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$3,116 €2,773
31.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,347 €2,089
-17.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Montijo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$1,131 €1,006
-42.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.67
198.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montijo: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Montijo
$972 45.6% $304
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Montijo
$260 15.5% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Montijo
$213 4.2% $9.3
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Montijo
$195 13.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Montijo
$122 29.3% $50
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Montijo
$61 34.8% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Montijo
$37 34.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,182 in Montijo. 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 75% higher in Montijo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $44 in Montijo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $260 – making Montijo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇹 Montijo
🕒 Local time
16:32 4:32 PM
21:32 9:32 PM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
55,689
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,620 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Montijo 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Montijo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Montijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Montijo?
Yes – Montijo is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,790 in Montijo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montijo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,182 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Montijo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $44 in Montijo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Montijo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,860 in Montijo. That makes Medellin about 9% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Montijo?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,860 in Montijo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Montijo?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,860 in Montijo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montijo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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