Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto de Tierra

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto de Tierra: $1,317 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Puerto de Tierra, Puerto Rico
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Puerto de Tierra
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,317
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Puerto de Tierra

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,317 in Puerto de Tierra, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Puerto de Tierra $1,317

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,076 in Puerto de Tierra, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Puerto de Tierra $2,076

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,835 in Puerto de Tierra, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Puerto de Tierra $2,835

Medellin costs about 24% more than Puerto de Tierra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto de Tierra is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$19.43 $19.43
-58.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$82.9 $82.9
-43.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$9.01 $9.01
5.44%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$3.52 $3.52
-14.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$1.82 $1.82
-1.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$1.52 $1.52
-7.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$2.98 $2.98
6.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$4.92 $4.92
16.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$1.86 $1.86
-18.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$3.55 $3.55
-32.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$2.44 $2.44
-27.46%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$7.32 $7.32
-60.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$12.72 $12.72
-19.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$9.54 $9.54
3.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$13.27 $13.27
5.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$5.00 $5.00
-20.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$2.63 $2.63
-41.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$4.99 $4.99
-56.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$4.74 $4.74
-54.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$3.69 $3.69
-46.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$3.94 $3.94
-59.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$3.38 $3.38
-65.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$1.60 $1.60
-22.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$11.81 $11.81
-66.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$15.69 $15.69
-12.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$3.11 $3.11
-46.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$3.90 $3.90
-42.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$2.46 $2.46
-48.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$1.48 $1.48
38.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$41.87 $41.87
-79.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.25 $1.25
8.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$35.1K $35.1K
-2.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$28.4K $28.4K
22.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$323 $323
-47.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$67.9 $67.9
-80.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$69.6 $69.6
-59.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$10.56 $10.56
-34.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$809 $809
-1.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$12.4K $12.4K
-26.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$55.9 $55.9
51.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$61.3 $61.3
-5.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$111 $111
21.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$113 $113
-13.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Puerto de Tierra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.55
67.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto de Tierra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Puerto de Tierra
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Puerto de Tierra
$410 37.9% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Puerto de Tierra
$461 118% $249
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Puerto de Tierra
$263 54.9% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Puerto de Tierra
$153 9.2% $16
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Puerto de Tierra
$9.9 * 89.4% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Puerto de Tierra
$21 * 63.3% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $83 in Puerto de Tierra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $410 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇷 Puerto de Tierra
🕒 Local time
02:48 2:48 AM
03:48 3:48 AM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Puerto de Tierra 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Puerto de Tierra

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 Tierra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puerto de Tierra cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,976 in Puerto de Tierra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Puerto de Tierra?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $83 in Puerto de Tierra. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Puerto de Tierra?
Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Puerto de Tierra?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto de Tierra, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Puerto de Tierra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Puerto de Tierra?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,317 in Puerto de Tierra to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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