Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,466 in Samos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,165 in Samos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,865 in Samos, rent included.

Medellin costs about 12% more than Samos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Samos sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Samos by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$11.75 €10.10

-31.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$41.10 €35.34

17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$7.16 €6.15

31.56%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$3.54 €3.04

-16.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 COP 5,786

$2.42 €2.08

-23.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.80 €0.69

82.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$4.73 €4.07

-32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$6.48 €5.57

-11.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.74 €1.50

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.46 €1.25

64.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$2.68 €2.31

-36.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$4.81 €4.13

-39.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$14.13 €12.15

-28.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$10.12 €8.70

-1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$15.14 €13.01

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.38 €2.04

67.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$2.23 €1.92

-29.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.42 €1.22

51.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$2.00 €1.72

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.23 €1.05

62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.15 €0.99

31.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.17 €1.01

2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.86 €0.74

48.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$5.57 €4.79

-31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$7.64 €6.57

83.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$2.08 €1.79

-17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.77 €2.38

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$1.36 €1.17

-8.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$49.57 €42.62

57.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$4.14 €3.56

-68.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$1.12 €0.96

93.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$17.68 €15.20

-53.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$2.21 €1.90

-38.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$28.7K €24.7K

-4.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$26.2K €22.5K

39.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 COP 523.8K

$217 €187

-22.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$24.83 €21.35

-45.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$31.59 €27.16

-10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$51.5 €44.31

-11.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$26.37 €22.67

-34.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$9.52 €8.19

-30.15%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$451 €388

78.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$6,967 €5,990

31.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$85.1 €73.2

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$40.10 €34.48

48.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$94.8 €81.5

46.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$129 €111

-21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$501 €431

113.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$411 €353

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$783 €673

145.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$676 €581

55.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,915 €2,506

41.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$2,412 €2,074

-29.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,014 €872

-35.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.44

146.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Samos: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $501 in Samos. 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 55% higher in Samos, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $41.00 in Samos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $294 – making Samos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Samos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,199 in Samos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $41.00 in Samos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,466 in Samos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samos, where all-in costs run around $1,466, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Samos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Samos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.