Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palma Soriano

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Palma Soriano: $1,625 and $1,565 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Palma Soriano
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Palma Soriano Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Palma Soriano

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Palma Soriano

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,565 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Palma Soriano $1,565

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,874 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Palma Soriano $1,874

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,183 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Palma Soriano $2,183

Medellin costs about 4% more than Palma Soriano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Palma Soriano sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Palma Soriano by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$4.86 CUP 117

70.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$24.89 CUP 597

88.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.88 CUP 117

89.34%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.16 CUP 75.7

-3.48%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.26 CUP 30.25

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.89 CUP 21.27

55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.07 CUP 73.7

5.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.47 CUP 59.3

125.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.03 CUP 48.71

-26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.47 CUP 35.25

61.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.01 CUP 24.31

68.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.22 CUP 29.17

142.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.83 CUP 140

75.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.08 CUP 146

60.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.21 CUP 269

24.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.88 CUP 45.07

119.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.19 CUP 28.55

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.46 CUP 34.96

52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.53 CUP 36.71

48.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.97 CUP 23.29

105.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.99 CUP 23.69

68.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.02 CUP 24.52

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.12 CUP 26.84

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.97 CUP 71.3

30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$10.01 CUP 240

37.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$3.03 CUP 72.8

-45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.98 CUP 47.48

21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.24 CUP 5.72

416.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$30.36 CUP 729

157.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.84 CUP 44.14

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.34 CUP 8.05

532.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$13.16 CUP 316

-36.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.18 CUP 28.34

14.41%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

-46.84%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$46.5K CUP 1.1M

-25.47%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$55.8 CUP 1,340

198.55%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$9.81 CUP 235

38.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$145 CUP 3,484

-79.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$40.02 CUP 961

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$9.83 CUP 236

74.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$1.02 CUP 24.49

583.33%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$100 CUP 2,403

689.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$11.8K CUP 283.6K

-23.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$65.2 CUP 1,565

34.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$34.94 CUP 838

66.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$85.5 CUP 2,051

62.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$111 CUP 2,660

-10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$875 CUP 21.0K

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$807 CUP 19.4K

-23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$757 CUP 18.2K

148.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$656 CUP 15.7K

53.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$322 CUP 7,725

1139.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$324 CUP 7,785

424.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$39.94 CUP 959

1560.82%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Palma Soriano

$807 51.6% 30.3% $188

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Palma Soriano

$217 13.9% 27.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Palma Soriano

$211 13.5% 0.7% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Palma Soriano

$133 8.5% 22.8% $39

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Palma Soriano

$120 7.7% 29.6% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Palma Soriano

$35 2.2% 63.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Palma Soriano

$42 2.7% 28.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $875 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 1561% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Palma Soriano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $217 – making Palma Soriano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇺 Palma Soriano

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

12:53 12:53 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

74,930

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Palma Soriano 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Palma Soriano

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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,348 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 $47.00 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 $1,625 in Medellin and $1,565 in Palma Soriano. That's a gap of about 4%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Palma Soriano, where all-in costs run around $1,565, than in Medellin at $1,625. 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.