Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sligo

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,795 in Sligo, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Sligo, Ireland
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Sligo
🇮🇪 Ireland
$1,795
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sligo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,795 in Sligo, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Sligo $1,795

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,734 in Sligo, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Sligo $2,734

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,672 in Sligo, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Sligo $3,672

Medellin is about 9% cheaper than Sligo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Sligo sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sligo by 32%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$16.98 €15.26
-52.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$79.3 €71.3
-40.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$9.14 €8.21
3.94%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$3.71 €3.33
-18.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$2.63 €2.36
-31.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$1.92 €1.72
-26.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$6.58 €5.91
-51.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$6.07 €5.46
-5.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.40 €1.26
7.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.49 €1.34
59.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.60 €1.43
10.62%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$3.46 €3.11
-16.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$8.60 €7.73
18.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$8.89 €7.99
11.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$11.07 €9.95
26.38%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$2.01 €1.80
97.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.73 €1.55
-10.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$2.90 €2.61
-24.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$2.71 €2.44
-19.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.69 €1.52
15.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.18 €1.06
34.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.30 €1.17
-11.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.64 €1.47
-24.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$17.45 €15.67
-77.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$11.00 €9.88
24.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,222
$2.66 €2.39
-37.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,104
$3.81 €3.42
-40.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$2.18 €1.96
-46.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$5.55 €4.99
-77.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.49 €1.34
37.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$66.7 €60.0
-87.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.99 €1.79
-32.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$38.3K €34.4K
-11.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$38.0K €34.1K
-8.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$162 €145
5.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$22.47 €20.19
-39.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$45.00 €40.43
-37.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$65.0 €58.4
-32.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$10.97 €9.86
56.70%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$11.31 €10.16
-38.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$808 €726
-1.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$2,264 €2,035
302.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$87.3 €78.5
-2.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$28.41 €25.52
104.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$74.0 €66.5
82.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$88.1 €79.2
11.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$1,342 €1,206
-10.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$787 €707
-18.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$2,269 €2,039
-10.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$1,347 €1,210
-24.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$2,140 €1,923
94.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Sligo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$4,073 €3,660
-83.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.6
203.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sligo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Sligo
$787 22.7% $145
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Sligo
$273 7.9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Sligo
$229 8.4% $18
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Sligo
$271 59.8% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Sligo
$125 26% $44
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Sligo
$22 * 76.7% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Sligo
$88 52.3% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,342 in Sligo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sligo are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $79 in Sligo. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $273 in Sligo – so Sligo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇪 Sligo
🕒 Local time
06:18 6:18 AM
11:18 11:18 AM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
20,608
💱 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 = 3,501 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 Sligo 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Sligo

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 Sligo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Sligo?
Yes – Sligo is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,692 in Sligo. 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,342 in Sligo.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Sligo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $79 in Sligo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Sligo?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Sligo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Sligo?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,795 in Sligo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $1,795 in Sligo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sligo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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