Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Portoviejo

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $877 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Portoviejo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $877 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Portoviejo $877

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,400 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Portoviejo $1,400

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,924 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Portoviejo $1,924

Medellin costs about 87% more than Portoviejo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Portoviejo is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$4.06 $4.06

99.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$51.6 $51.6

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.95 $8.95

6.15%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.93 $2.93

2.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.94 $0.94

91.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.67 $0.67

110.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.91 $2.91

9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.16 $4.16

38.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.17 $1.17

29.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.02 $2.02

17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.45 $1.45

22.07%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.15 $2.15

34.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$6.95 $6.95

46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$5.04 $5.04

95.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.41 $9.41

48.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.52 $1.52

161.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.15 $1.15

34.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.99 $0.99

120.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.96 $0.96

127.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.22 $1.22

60.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.99 $0.99

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.89 $0.89

29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.94 $0.94

31.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$6.04 $6.04

-34.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$12.23 $12.23

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.50 $1.50

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.19 $2.19

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.34 $0.34

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.67 $2.67

-52.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.79 $1.79

14.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$12.17 $12.17

-29.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.88 $0.88

53.41%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$23.0K $23.0K

48.22%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$30.8K $30.8K

12.40%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$33.95 $33.95

399.71%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$14.67 $14.67

-7.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$26.33 $26.33

6.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$31.57 $31.57

38.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$16.27 $16.27

5.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.54 $7.54

-8.36%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$375 $375

112.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$5,671 $5,671

60.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$65.2 $65.2

30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$41.29 $41.29

40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$123 $123

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$92.4 $92.4

5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$415 $415

190.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$273 $273

134.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$914 $914

121.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$430 $430

135.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,019 $1,019

309.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$789 $789

142.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$331 $331

98.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.05

8.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Portoviejo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Portoviejo

$273 31.2% 57.4% $368

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Portoviejo

$201 22.9% 32.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Portoviejo

$75 8.5% 64.5% $136

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Portoviejo

$124 14.1% 27% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Portoviejo

$145 16.5% 14.2% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5% 86.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Portoviejo

$47 5.3% 18.9% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $415 in Portoviejo. 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 98% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $52 in Portoviejo. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $201 in Portoviejo – so Portoviejo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

180,641

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Portoviejo 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Portoviejo

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 Portoviejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,316 in Portoviejo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portoviejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $52 in Portoviejo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $877 in Portoviejo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Portoviejo – 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 Portoviejo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.