Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santiago de Compostela

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago de Compostela: $1,443 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Santiago de Compostela
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Santiago de Compostela

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 Santiago de Compostela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Santiago de Compostela $1,443

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,226 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Santiago de Compostela $2,226

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,008 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Santiago de Compostela $3,008

Medellin costs about 14% more than Santiago de Compostela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Santiago de Compostela sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Santiago de Compostela by 6%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$13.64 €12.25
-40.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$67.6 €60.7
-30.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$9.43 €8.47
0.74%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$1.94 €1.74
55.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$2.78 €2.49
-35.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$2.13 €1.92
-33.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$2.96 €2.66
7.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$3.95 €3.55
45.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.21 €1.09
24.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.16 €1.04
105.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.34 €1.20
32.09%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$2.80 €2.52
3.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$9.15 €8.22
11.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$6.75 €6.06
46.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$16.50 €14.82
-15.21%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$2.09 €1.88
89.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$2.13 €1.91
-27.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.49 €1.34
46.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$2.84 €2.55
-23.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.98 €1.78
-1.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.47 €1.32
8.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.14 €1.02
0.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.83 €0.74
49.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$5.75 €5.17
-31.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$4.91 €4.41
178.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.43 €1.29
16.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.37 €2.13
-4.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$1.26 €1.13
-7.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$32.86 €29.52
135.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$4.90 €4.40
-74.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.36 €1.22
50.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$18.97 €17.04
-54.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.77 €1.59
-23.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$34.9K €31.3K
-2.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$29.7K €26.7K
16.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$152 €137
11.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$21.57 €19.37
-37.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$32.85 €29.51
-14.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$50.7 €45.55
-13.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$2.27 €2.04
657.27%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$10.20 €9.17
-32.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$335 €301
137.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$8,280 €7,438
10.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$90.1 €80.9
-5.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$64.1 €57.6
-9.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$103 €92.1
31.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$93.8 €84.3
4.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$739 €664
63.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$515 €463
24.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,070 €961
89.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$868 €780
16.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$3,100 €2,785
34.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$2,153 €1,934
-11.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Santiago de Compostela
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,886 €1,694
-65.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
2.96
269.59%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Santiago de Compostela
$515 19.7% $126
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Santiago de Compostela
$239 19.4% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Santiago de Compostela
$207 2.1% $4.4
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Santiago de Compostela
$203 19.7% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Santiago de Compostela
$158 6.7% $11
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Santiago de Compostela
$50 47% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Santiago de Compostela
$71 23.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $739 in Santiago de Compostela. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santiago de Compostela are about 2.9 times higher, 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 $68 in Santiago de Compostela. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $239 in Santiago de Compostela – so Santiago de Compostela wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela
🕒 Local time
16:39 4:39 PM
22:39 10:39 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
98,687
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Santiago de Compostela 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Santiago de Compostela

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 Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santiago de Compostela cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,164 in Santiago de Compostela. 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 Santiago de Compostela, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $739 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Santiago de Compostela?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $68 in Santiago de Compostela. 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 Santiago de Compostela?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela. That makes Santiago de Compostela about 12% cheaper.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Santiago de Compostela?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Santiago de Compostela more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Santiago de Compostela – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?