Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto de la Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto de la Cruz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Puerto de la Cruz
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Puerto de la Cruz Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Puerto de la Cruz

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Puerto de la Cruz

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 Puerto de la Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Puerto de la Cruz $1,912

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,769 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Puerto de la Cruz $2,769

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,625 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Puerto de la Cruz $3,625

Medellin is about 16% cheaper than Puerto de la Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Medellin and Puerto de la Cruz sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Puerto de la Cruz by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$13.53 €12.04

-41.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$61.4 €54.6

-24.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.06 €8.95

-5.57%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.58 €2.29

20.54%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.90 €1.69

-3.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.53 €1.36

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.86 €2.54

6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.59 €3.20

53.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.10 €0.98

31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.62 €1.44

45.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.65 €1.47

1.82%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.70 €3.29

-22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.22 €10.87

-16.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$10.00 €8.89

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$13.61 €12.10

3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.55 €2.27

59.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.06 €1.83

-27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.48 €1.32

46.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.58 €2.29

-10.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.35 €2.09

-17.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.31 €2.05

-29.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.02 €1.79

-44.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.81 €0.72

54.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.17 €3.71

-4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$6.52 €5.80

104.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.37 €1.22

24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.68 €2.38

-11.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$41.93 €37.29

82.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.31 €2.94

-60.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.28 €2.02

-6.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$28.23 €25.11

-70.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.65 €1.47

-21.21%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$35.1K €31.2K

-20.23%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$28.4K €25.3K

24.56%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$111 €98.4

55.55%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$19.16 €17.04

-30.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$28.08 €24.97

2.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$16.72 €14.87

1.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$9.15 €8.14

-31.37%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$481 €428

59.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,713 €5,971

34.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$88.7 €78.9

-2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$37.90 €33.71

50.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$88.9 €79.1

53.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$120 €107

-18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,133 €1,008

-6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,049 €933

-41.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,891 €1,682

0.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,577 €1,403

-35.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,614 €3,215

12.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$3,478 €3,093

-51.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,345 €1,196

-51.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.15

247.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Puerto de la Cruz

$1K 54.9% 70.3% $433

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Puerto de la Cruz

$275 14.4% 6.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Puerto de la Cruz

$158 8.3% 26.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Puerto de la Cruz

$151 7.9% 11.3% $19

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Puerto de la Cruz

$205 10.7% 21.5% $36

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Puerto de la Cruz

$57 * 3% 39.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Puerto de la Cruz

$18 * 1% 68.3% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,133 in Puerto de la Cruz. 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 106% higher in Puerto de la Cruz, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $61.0 in Puerto de la Cruz. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $275 in Puerto de la Cruz – so Puerto de la Cruz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇸 Puerto de la Cruz

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

10:29 10:29 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

30,849

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Puerto de la Cruz 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puerto de la Cruz

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 Puerto de la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Puerto de la Cruz is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,868 in Puerto de la Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $61.0 in Puerto de la Cruz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Puerto de la Cruz at $1,912. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto de la Cruz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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