Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $356 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Orhei

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $356 in Orhei, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Orhei $356

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $580 in Orhei, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Orhei $580

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $804 in Orhei, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Orhei $804

Medellin costs about 375% more than Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Orhei is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.8K

$10.94 MDL 193

-23.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 149.7K

$22.12 MDL 391

110.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$7.06 MDL 125

34.14%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.36 MDL 24.05

130.15%

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

$1.77 COP 5,681

$0.79 MDL 13.91

124.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,582

$0.43 MDL 7.67

230.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.1K

$1.13 MDL 19.88

178.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.3K

$1.36 MDL 24.09

319.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,930

$1.02 MDL 17.99

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,370

$0.32 MDL 5.61

615.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,257

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,864

$1.87 MDL 33.04

64.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.6K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 44.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.0K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,916

$1.96 MDL 34.65

-21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,769

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,378

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,785

$0.61 MDL 10.82

245.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,498

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,764

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,083

$0.51 MDL 8.95

209.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,667

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,724

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,795

$0.16 MDL 2.90

637.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 245.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,812

$1.08 MDL 19.09

67.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,849

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,102

$1.66 MDL 29.37

-22.89%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$20.2K MDL 356.9K

68.88%

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

$178 COP 571.7K

$60.0 MDL 1,059

196.46%

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

$13.89 COP 44.7K

$6.76 MDL 119

105.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 98.9K

$10.23 MDL 181

200.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 134.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.0K

$3.32 MDL 58.7

125.00%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 277.7K

$32.95 MDL 582

162.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 190.6K

$33.82 MDL 597

75.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 445.0K

$104 MDL 1,837

33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 317.8K

$33.20 MDL 586

197.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Orhei: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Orhei

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Orhei

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Orhei

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Orhei

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Orhei

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Orhei

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Orhei

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Orhei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $41 – making Orhei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

02:58 2:58 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

24,918

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 17.66 MDL (100 MDL = 5.66 USD). 1 EUR = 19.82 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Orhei 10,570 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 375%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $534 in Orhei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 658% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Orhei. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Orhei, where all-in costs run around $356, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Orhei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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 $356 in Orhei to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.