Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Queluz

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,696 in Queluz, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Queluz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Queluz
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,696
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Queluz

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,696 in Queluz, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Queluz $1,696

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,489 in Queluz, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Queluz $2,489

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,283 in Queluz, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Queluz $3,283

Medellin is about 5% cheaper than Queluz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Queluz sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Queluz by 26%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$13.58 €12.08
-41.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$28.14 €25.03
63.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$6.63 €5.89
43.29%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$0.88 €0.78
253.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.72 €1.53
6.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.15 €1.02
20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$1.09 €0.97
179.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$2.25 €2.00
144.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.40 €1.25
3.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.35 €1.20
74.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.58 €1.41
6.33%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$4.06 €3.61
-29.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$16.92 €15.05
-39.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$7.72 €6.87
23.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$27.08 €24.08
-48.15%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$3.08 €2.74
32.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.29 €1.15
16.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.78 €1.58
21.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$2.21 €1.96
4.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$2.01 €1.79
-3.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$2.09 €1.86
-21.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.77 €1.57
-36.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.92 €0.82
35.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$8.61 €7.66
-53.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$5.98 €5.32
123.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$0.94 €0.83
80.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$1.57 €1.40
50.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$2.51 €2.23
-51.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$46.06 €40.97
66.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$3.82 €3.40
-65.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.09 €0.97
96.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$15.72 €13.98
-46.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$2.15 €1.91
-39.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$33.1K €29.4K
-15.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$38.3K €34.0K
-7.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$149 €132
15.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$20.68 €18.39
-35.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$55.5 €49.34
-48.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$37.18 €33.07
21.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$18.79 €16.71
-9.31%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$8.85 €7.87
-29.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$651 €579
18.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$15.4K €13.7K
-41.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$78.2 €69.5
10.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$56.1 €49.88
1.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$77.4 €68.8
76.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$66.3 €59.0
47.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$841 €748
25.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$755 €672
-18.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,391 €1,237
36.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,273 €1,132
-19.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,816 €2,505
44.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,117 €1,883
-20.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Queluz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.65
135.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Queluz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Queluz
$755 22.6% $139
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Queluz
$310 5.2% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Queluz
$225 4.9% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Queluz
$125 26.5% $45
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Queluz
$160 4.7% $7.9
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Queluz
$65 30% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Queluz
$55 5.1% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $841 in Queluz. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Queluz. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $310 in Queluz – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇹 Queluz
🕒 Local time
09:47 9:47 AM
15:47 3:47 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
75,169
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Queluz 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Queluz

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 Queluz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Queluz cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Queluz is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,543 in Queluz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Queluz?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $28.00 in Queluz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Queluz?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,696 in Queluz. That's a gap of about 5%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Queluz?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Queluz at $1,696. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Queluz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Queluz more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Queluz?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Queluz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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