Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Soroca

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $391 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Soroca

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $391 in Soroca, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Soroca $391

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $634 in Soroca, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Soroca $634

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $876 in Soroca, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Soroca $876

Medellin costs about 319% more than Soroca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Soroca is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$11.11 MDL 198

-27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$22.66 MDL 404

107.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.62 MDL 82.4

105.63%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.44 MDL 25.60

109.03%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.76 MDL 13.52

136.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.43 MDL 7.73

227.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.15 MDL 20.53

176.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.42 MDL 25.29

304.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.03 MDL 18.42

46.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.36 MDL 6.35

561.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.15 MDL 20.45

53.91%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.89 MDL 33.68

52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$2.00 MDL 35.62

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.62 MDL 11.05

216.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.51 MDL 9.05

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.13 MDL 20.21

12.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.75 MDL 31.14

-22.86%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$20.8K MDL 371.7K

66.33%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$59.5 MDL 1,061

184.98%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$8.27 MDL 147

63.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$13.10 MDL 234

114.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$28.54 MDL 509

53.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.44 MDL 61.3

100.87%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$33.45 MDL 596

153.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$33.93 MDL 605

70.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$108 MDL 1,923

25.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$33.93 MDL 605

188.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$507 MDL 9,048

29.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Soroca: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Soroca

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Soroca

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Soroca

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Soroca

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Soroca

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Soroca

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Soroca

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 30% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $23 in Soroca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $46 – making Soroca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇩 Soroca

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

10:18 10:18 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

37,400

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Soroca 10,500 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Soroca

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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 319%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $586 in Soroca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 546% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $23 in Soroca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Soroca, where all-in costs run around $391, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Soroca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $391 in Soroca to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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