Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oradea

For one person, living is cheaper in Oradea: $975 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Oradea
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Oradea Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Oradea

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Oradea

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 Oradea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $975 in Oradea, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Oradea $975

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,443 in Oradea, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Oradea $1,443

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,912 in Oradea, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Oradea $1,912

Medellin costs about 63% more than Oradea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Oradea is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$8.49 RON 40.15

-5.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$42.39 RON 200

9.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$7.49 RON 35.42

25.90%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$2.61 RON 12.34

11.49%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.82 RON 8.61

-3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.70 RON 8.04

-22.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$2.15 RON 10.17

45.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$3.21 RON 15.21

72.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.48 RON 7.00

-4.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.02 RON 4.83

139.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.19 RON 5.64

36.97%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.85 RON 13.46

-1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$8.25 RON 39.03

17.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$6.23 RON 29.45

49.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$9.05 RON 42.80

48.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.06 RON 5.03

277.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.48 RON 7.01

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.45 RON 6.85

46.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.40 RON 6.64

60.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.86 RON 4.09

122.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.88 RON 4.17

84.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.70 RON 3.30

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.82 RON 3.89

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$5.95 RON 28.12

-35.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$5.69 RON 26.93

130.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.04 RON 4.91

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.83 RON 8.68

23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.77 RON 3.66

51.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$18.97 RON 89.7

295.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$0.75 RON 3.56

69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.76 RON 3.61

169.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$7.27 RON 34.41

12.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.78 RON 8.40

-28.65%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$28.6K RON 135.5K

-6.51%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$25.1K RON 118.6K

37.20%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$137 RON 649

18.15%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$6.32 RON 29.90

107.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$8.08 RON 38.21

247.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$46.21 RON 219

-4.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$16.19 RON 76.6

0.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$7.50 RON 35.46

-18.80%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$397 RON 1,876

92.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$9,125 RON 43.2K

-2.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$60.7 RON 287

39.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$37.01 RON 175

55.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$54.1 RON 256

143.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$64.2 RON 304

49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$401 RON 1,895

156.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$310 RON 1,466

94.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$536 RON 2,534

236.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$397 RON 1,876

150.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,969 RON 9,314

99.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,925 RON 9,105

-14.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$895 RON 4,235

-30.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.1

54.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Oradea: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Oradea

$310 31.4% 48.7% $294

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Oradea

$188 19.1% 34.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Oradea

$152 15.4% 25.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Oradea

$97 9.8% 41.6% $69

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Oradea

$153 15.5% 8.1% $13

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Oradea

$27 2.7% 70.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Oradea

$61 6.2% 8.3% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $401 in Oradea. 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 43% higher in Oradea, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $42.00 in Oradea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $188 – making Oradea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇴 Oradea

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

196,367

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Oradea 10,060 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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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 Oradea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,462 in Oradea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $42.00 in Oradea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $975 in Oradea. That's a gap of about 63%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oradea, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Oradea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oradea – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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