Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,048

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,946 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,946

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,845 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $3,845

Medellin is about 20% cheaper than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Santa Cruz de Tenerife sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Santa Cruz de Tenerife by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$20.33 €18.26

-60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$60.8 €54.6

-22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$11.00 €9.88

-13.64%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.99 €1.79

51.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.87 €1.68

-3.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.24 €1.11

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.81 €2.53

13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.28 €2.95

75.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.38 €1.24

9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.46 €2.21

-3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.59 €1.43

11.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.13 €3.71

-30.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$19.32 €17.35

-47.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$10.01 €8.99

-1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$17.56 €15.77

-20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.79 €2.50

42.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.32 €2.08

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.17 €1.95

0.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.57 €2.31

-15.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.12 €1.90

-7.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.94 €1.74

-18.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.68 €1.51

-31.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.99 €0.89

25.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$5.60 €5.03

-29.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$7.92 €7.11

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.61 €1.45

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.75 €1.58

29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.37 €1.23

-14.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$44.15 €39.66

75.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$4.20 €3.78

-69.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.65 €1.48

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$17.09 €15.35

-49.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.63 €1.46

-17.18%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$35.7K €32.1K

-4.59%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$31.0K €27.9K

11.78%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$126 €113

34.62%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$22.43 €20.15

-39.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$35.25 €31.66

-20.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$51.5 €46.22

-15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$11.64 €10.45

47.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$9.74 €8.75

-29.06%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$408 €367

95.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,972 €4,466

83.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$91.3 €82.0

-7.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$41.34 €37.14

40.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$89.5 €80.4

50.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$114 €102

-13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,166 €1,047

3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,000 €898

-35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,833 €1,646

10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,422 €1,277

-28.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$3,984 €3,579

4.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,266 €2,036

-15.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,852 €1,664

-64.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.56

207.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$1,000 48.8% 55.9% $358

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$328 16% 10.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$184 9% 13% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$253 12.3% 48.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$151 7.4% 10.6% $18

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$62 3% 33.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$71 3.5% 23.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,166 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $61 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $328 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇸 Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

03:32 3:32 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

209,395

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Cruz de Tenerife 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Cruz de Tenerife

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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz de Tenerife is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,072 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,166 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $61 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. That makes Medellin about 20% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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