Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rota

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Rota: $1,639 and $1,657 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin, Colombia
Rota, Spain
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Rota
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rota

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,657 in Rota, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Rota $1,657

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,448 in Rota, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Rota $2,448

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,240 in Rota, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Rota $3,240

Medellin and Rota have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Medellin and Rota sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Rota by 22%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$16.95 €15.19
-52.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$62.8 €56.3
-25.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$12.31 €11.03
-22.83%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$2.20 €1.97
36.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.71 €2.43
-33.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$1.91 €1.72
-26.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$3.45 €3.10
-7.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$4.61 €4.13
24.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.18 €1.06
27.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$1.45 €1.30
64.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$1.77 €1.59
-
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$3.33 €2.98
-13.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$15.49 €13.88
-34.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$7.99 €7.16
23.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$15.24 €13.65
-8.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.56 €2.30
55.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.97 €1.76
-21.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.76 €1.58
23.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$2.56 €2.30
-14.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$1.63 €1.46
20.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$2.07 €1.85
-23.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$1.26 €1.12
-8.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.71 €0.63
74.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.44 €5.77
-38.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$6.57 €5.89
108.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.19 €1.06
39.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.33 €2.09
-3.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Rota
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$1.67 €1.50
-29.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$32.10 €28.77
141.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$1.92 €1.72
-33.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$1.23 €1.10
66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$22.49 €20.15
-61.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.79 €1.60
-24.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$33.6K €30.1K
1.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$31.3K €28.0K
10.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$165 €148
3.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$10.89 €9.76
24.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$25.02 €22.42
12.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$44.69 €40.05
-2.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$15.51 €13.90
10.83%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$9.48 €8.50
-27.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$856 €767
-6.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$9,996 €8,957
-8.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$89.4 €80.1
-5.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$38.64 €34.62
50.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$84.7 €75.9
59.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$106 €95.1
-7.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Rota
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$882 €791
36.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$688 €617
-6.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,356 €1,215
49.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,023 €917
-1.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$3,235 €2,899
28.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$2,227 €1,995
-14.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Rota
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.29
232.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rota: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Rota
$688 7.3% $47
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Rota
$270 9.2% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Rota
$201 5.1% $11
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Rota
$244 43.8% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Rota
$143 15.1% $25
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Rota
$47 49.9% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Rota
$64 10.7% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $882 in Rota. 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 $63 in Rota. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $270 in Rota – so Rota wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇸 Rota
🕒 Local time
23:42 11:42 PM
05:42 5:42 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
29,675
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Rota 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Rota

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 Rota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,485 in Rota. 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 Rota, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $882 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Rota?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $63 in Rota. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 59% less in Rota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Rota?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,657 in Rota, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Rota?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,657 in Rota. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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