Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Roquetas de Mar

For one person, living is cheaper in Roquetas de Mar: $1,431 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Roquetas de Mar, Spain
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Roquetas de Mar
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,431
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Roquetas de Mar

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 Roquetas de Mar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,431 in Roquetas de Mar, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Roquetas de Mar $1,431

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,071 in Roquetas de Mar, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Roquetas de Mar $2,071

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,710 in Roquetas de Mar, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Roquetas de Mar $2,710

Medellin costs about 15% more than Roquetas de Mar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Roquetas de Mar sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Roquetas de Mar by 5%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$16.60 €14.86
-51.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$55.4 €49.60
-15.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$10.43 €9.34
-8.92%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$1.96 €1.76
53.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$2.77 €2.48
-35.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$1.71 €1.53
-17.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$4.22 €3.78
-24.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$4.53 €4.06
26.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.26 €1.13
19.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$1.62 €1.45
46.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$1.84 €1.64
-3.80%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$3.64 €3.26
-20.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$15.80 €14.15
-35.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$9.21 €8.25
7.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$13.36 €11.97
4.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.63 €2.35
50.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$1.81 €1.62
-14.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$1.56 €1.39
39.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$2.38 €2.13
-8.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.92 €1.72
2.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.97 €1.76
-19.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$1.32 €1.18
-12.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$0.70 €0.63
77.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.27 €5.62
-36.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$5.34 €4.78
156.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$1.10 €0.99
50.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$1.71 €1.53
32.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$0.95 €0.85
23.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$33.93 €30.39
128.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$7.87 €7.05
-83.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$1.22 €1.10
68.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$18.04 €16.16
-52.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$1.88 €1.69
-28.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$34.7K €31.0K
-1.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$31.5K €28.2K
10.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$134 €120
26.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$15.92 €14.26
-14.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$26.37 €23.61
6.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$36.37 €32.58
20.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$8.62 €7.72
-19.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$397 €356
100.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$10.5K €9,445
-13.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$73.0 €65.4
16.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$35.21 €31.54
64.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$95.0 €85.1
42.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$119 €107
-17.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$560 €502
115.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$500 €448
28.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$779 €697
160.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$590 €528
71.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$1,977 €1,770
110.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,648 €1,476
15.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Roquetas de Mar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,310 €1,174
-49.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.18
244.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Roquetas de Mar
$500 22.1% $142
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Roquetas de Mar
$269 9.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Roquetas de Mar
$176 16.7% $35
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Roquetas de Mar
$236 39% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Roquetas de Mar
$145 14.1% $24
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Roquetas de Mar
$52 44.7% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Roquetas de Mar
$54 6.8% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $560 in Roquetas de Mar. 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 99% higher in Roquetas de Mar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $55 in Roquetas de Mar. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $269 in Roquetas de Mar – so Roquetas de Mar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇸 Roquetas de Mar
🕒 Local time
10:50 10:50 AM
16:50 4:50 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
106,510
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Roquetas de Mar 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Roquetas de Mar

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 Roquetas de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Roquetas de Mar cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, 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 $2,147 in Roquetas de Mar. 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 Roquetas de Mar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $560 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Roquetas de Mar?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $55 in Roquetas de Mar. 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 Roquetas de Mar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,431 in Roquetas de Mar. That makes Roquetas de Mar about 13% cheaper.
Is Medellin or Roquetas de Mar more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Roquetas de Mar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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