Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palma Soriano Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palma Soriano

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,582 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,882 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,181 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

Medellin costs about 4% more than Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Palma Soriano sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Palma Soriano by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.1K

$4.89 CUP 117

64.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 150.7K

$25.23 CUP 606

91.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.4K

$5.03 CUP 121

87.28%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,169

$3.23 CUP 77.6

-8.98%

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

$1.86 COP 5,817

$1.29 CUP 30.88

44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,543

$0.88 CUP 21.16

65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 10.0K

$2.95 CUP 70.8

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.8K

$2.38 CUP 57.1

139.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,491

$1.96 CUP 47.10

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,494

$1.43 CUP 34.37

67.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,302

$1.03 CUP 24.68

65.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,022

$1.22 CUP 29.25

136.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.4K

$6.09 CUP 146

65.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.1K

$6.08 CUP 146

63.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.3K

$11.21 CUP 269

26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$1.86 CUP 44.67

113.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,947

$1.21 CUP 29.11

30.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,718

$1.47 CUP 35.22

46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,178

$1.53 CUP 36.70

50.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,257

$1.02 CUP 24.51

96.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.97 CUP 23.29

55.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,754

$1.01 CUP 24.36

18.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,002

$1.07 CUP 25.73

19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 12.0K

$3.04 CUP 73.1

26.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.99 CUP 240

40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,331

$2.96 CUP 71.2

-42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,560

$1.96 CUP 46.92

39.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,888

$0.24 CUP 5.75

420.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 243.1K

$30.20 CUP 725

157.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,073

$1.83 CUP 43.85

-28.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,775

$0.37 CUP 8.76

486.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.9K

$12.88 CUP 309

-35.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,231

$1.18 CUP 28.42

15.25%

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

$27.5K COP 85.7M

$65.7K CUP 1.6M

-58.15%

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

$36.5K COP 114.0M

$46.7K CUP 1.1M

-21.82%

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

$169 COP 526.6K

$55.2 CUP 1,325

205.65%

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

$13.57 COP 42.4K

$10.15 CUP 244

33.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 88.4K

$150 CUP 3,593

-81.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 142.7K

$40.60 CUP 974

12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.8K

$10.12 CUP 243

70.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.8K

$0.98 CUP 23.50

578.57%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$100 CUP 2,407

700.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.7M

$11.9K CUP 285.6K

-22.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 272.7K

$64.5 CUP 1,549

35.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 185.3K

$34.65 CUP 831

71.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 433.6K

$83.6 CUP 2,006

66.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.5K

$111 CUP 2,652

-7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$867 CUP 20.8K

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$791 CUP 19.0K

-17.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$742 CUP 17.8K

159.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$646 CUP 15.5K

62.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.9M

$322 CUP 7,737

1178.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$326 CUP 7,818

421.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$40.19 CUP 964

1529.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.33

31.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $867 in Palma Soriano. 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 1530% higher in Medellin, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Palma Soriano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $216 – making Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,374 in Palma Soriano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palma Soriano, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $25.00 in Palma Soriano. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,582 in Palma Soriano. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Palma Soriano, where all-in costs run around $1,582, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Palma Soriano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Palma Soriano. 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.