Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Setubal

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Setubal: $1,639 and $1,626 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin, Colombia
Setubal, Portugal
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Setubal
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Setubal

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,626 in Setubal, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Setubal $1,626

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,344 in Setubal, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Setubal $2,344

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,062 in Setubal, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Setubal $3,062

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

Both Medellin and Setubal sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Setubal by 19%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$12.12 €10.86
-33.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$47.89 €42.89
-1.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$8.74 €7.82
8.70%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$2.01 €1.80
49.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$1.98 €1.77
-9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$1.53 €1.37
-7.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$2.29 €2.05
38.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$3.32 €2.97
73.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.02 €0.92
48.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$1.51 €1.35
57.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$1.75 €1.57
1.14%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$3.39 €3.04
-14.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$11.56 €10.36
-11.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$7.51 €6.72
31.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$14.55 €13.03
-3.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.37 €2.13
67.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$1.34 €1.20
15.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$1.84 €1.65
18.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$2.71 €2.42
-19.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.65 €1.48
18.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.99 €1.78
-20.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$1.51 €1.35
-23.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$0.71 €0.64
74.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.90 €5.29
-32.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$4.54 €4.06
201.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$0.93 €0.84
78.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$2.16 €1.93
4.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$4.34 €3.89
-73.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$45.44 €40.69
70.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$3.71 €3.32
-65.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$1.42 €1.28
44.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$13.83 €12.38
-38.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$2.09 €1.87
-35.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$33.0K €29.5K
3.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$38.3K €34.3K
-9.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$98.6 €88.3
72.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$20.71 €18.55
-34.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$33.10 €29.64
-15.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$30.86 €27.64
41.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
$15.87 €14.21
8.32%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$7.65 €6.85
-9.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$595 €533
33.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$10.9K €9,739
-16.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$67.2 €60.2
26.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$37.07 €33.20
56.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$71.9 €64.4
87.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$93.3 €83.6
4.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$985 €882
22.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$809 €724
-20.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,590 €1,424
27.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,171 €1,049
-13.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$4,192 €3,755
-0.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$2,341 €2,096
-18.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Setubal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,296 €1,161
-49.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.85
184.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Setubal: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Setubal
$809 26.1% $167
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Setubal
$244 17.8% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Setubal
$152 27.9% $59
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Setubal
$179 5.8% $9.8
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Setubal
$121 28.2% $48
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Setubal
$74 21.3% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Setubal
$46 19.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $985 in Setubal. 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 97% higher in Setubal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $48 in Setubal. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $244 in Setubal – so Setubal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇹 Setubal
🕒 Local time
05:27 5:27 AM
10:27 10:27 AM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
123,519
💱 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 Setubal 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Setubal

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 Setubal: 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 $2,439 in Setubal. 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 Setubal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $985 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 41% less in Setubal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $595 in Setubal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Medellin or Setubal?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,626 in Setubal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Setubal more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Setubal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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