Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qrendi

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,087 in Qrendi, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Qrendi, Malta
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Qrendi
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,087
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Qrendi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,087 in Qrendi, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Qrendi $2,087

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,037 in Qrendi, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Qrendi $3,037

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,987 in Qrendi, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Qrendi $3,987

Medellin is about 21% cheaper than Qrendi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Qrendi sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Qrendi by 53%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$19.32 €17.35
-58.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$88.1 €79.2
-46.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$13.56 €12.18
-29.94%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$2.65 €2.38
13.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$3.05 €2.74
-40.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$2.22 €1.99
-36.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$4.44 €3.99
-28.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$5.19 €4.66
10.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.34 €1.20
12.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.34 €1.21
77.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$4.45 €4.00
-60.22%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$4.34 €3.90
-33.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$8.22 €7.38
23.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$10.36 €9.30
-4.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$18.00 €16.17
-22.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$4.15 €3.73
-4.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$2.73 €2.45
-43.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$3.68 €3.31
-40.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$3.42 €3.07
-36.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$2.21 €1.98
-11.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.86 €1.67
-14.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$2.38 €2.14
-51.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.35 €1.21
-8.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$6.75 €6.06
-41.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$8.25 €7.41
65.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.63 €1.46
1.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.43 €2.18
-7.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$2.14 €1.92
-45.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$5.62 €5.05
-77.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$2.19 €1.97
-6.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$26.73 €24.02
-68.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.47 €1.32
-8.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$38.3K €34.4K
-11.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$38.9K €34.9K
-10.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$101 €90.5
68.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$25.62 €23.01
-47.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$43.34 €38.93
-35.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$54.9 €49.27
-20.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$10.24 €9.20
-32.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$373 €335
113.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$11.0K €9,843
-16.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$86.3 €77.5
-1.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$40.24 €36.15
44.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$97.9 €87.9
37.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$79.7 €71.6
22.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$1,289 €1,158
-6.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$1,072 €963
-40.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,748 €1,570
16.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$1,508 €1,355
-32.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$3,587 €3,222
16.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$2,805 €2,520
-31.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Qrendi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
2.9
277.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qrendi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Qrendi
$1.1K 67.1% $431
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Qrendi
$327 10.1% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Qrendi
$170 19.7% $42
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Qrendi
$281 65.5% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Qrendi
$137 19% $32
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Qrendi
$25 * 73.1% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Qrendi
$75 30.9% $18

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 $1,289 in Qrendi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $88 in Qrendi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $327 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇹 Qrendi
🕒 Local time
13:04 1:04 PM
19:04 7:04 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
2,800
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Qrendi 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Qrendi

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 Qrendi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Qrendi?
Yes – Qrendi is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,130 in Qrendi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Qrendi?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,289 in Qrendi. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Qrendi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $88 in Qrendi. 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 Qrendi?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Qrendi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Qrendi?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,087 in Qrendi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Qrendi?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,087 in Qrendi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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