Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sparta

For one person, living is cheaper in Sparta: $1,351 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Sparta, Greece
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Sparta
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,351
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sparta

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,351 in Sparta, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Sparta $1,351

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,993 in Sparta, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Sparta $1,993

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,636 in Sparta, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Sparta $2,636

Medellin costs about 21% more than Sparta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$9.87 €8.86
-18.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$47.23 €42.42
-0.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$7.93 €7.12
19.80%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$3.34 €3.00
-9.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$2.21 €1.99
-18.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.58 €0.52
143.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$4.45 €3.99
-28.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$4.42 €3.97
30.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.65 €1.49
-8.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.37 €1.23
73.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$2.54 €2.28
-30.31%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$5.14 €4.62
-43.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$12.34 €11.08
-17.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$10.26 €9.22
-3.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$15.84 €14.23
-11.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$2.23 €2.00
78.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$2.13 €1.92
-27.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.66 €1.49
31.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$2.01 €1.81
8.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.10 €0.99
78.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.17 €1.05
35.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$0.85 €0.77
35.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.15 €1.03
7.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$5.02 €4.51
-21.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$7.16 €6.43
91.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.81 €1.63
-8.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$3.38 €3.04
-33.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$1.35 €1.21
-13.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$53.1 €47.67
45.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$4.38 €3.94
-71.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.09 €0.98
88.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$12.50 €11.23
-31.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$2.17 €1.95
-37.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$24.5K €22.0K
38.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$24.2K €21.7K
43.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$169 €152
0.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$22.61 €20.31
-40.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$27.11 €24.35
3.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$50.4 €45.28
-13.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$36.41 €32.70
-52.79%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$9.38 €8.42
-26.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$233 €209
241.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$2,794 €2,510
226.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$82.4 €74.0
2.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$36.30 €32.60
59.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$80.5 €72.3
67.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$90.4 €81.2
8.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$494 €443
144.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$389 €349
65.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$728 €654
178.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$504 €453
100.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$2,483 €2,231
67.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$1,930 €1,734
-1.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Sparta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$937 €841
-29.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.38
149.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sparta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Sparta
$389 39.4% $253
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Sparta
$290 2.2% $6.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Sparta
$219 3.5% $7.3
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Sparta
$185 9.1% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Sparta
$130 22.9% $39
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Sparta
$68 27% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Sparta
$69 20.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $494 in Sparta. 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 43% higher in Sparta, 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 $47 in Sparta. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $290 in Sparta – so Sparta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇷 Sparta
🕒 Local time
15:36 3:36 PM
22:36 10:36 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
16,239
💱 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 Sparta 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Sparta

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 Sparta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sparta cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,026 in Sparta. 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 Sparta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $494 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 31% less in Sparta. 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 $233 in Sparta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Sparta?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sparta, where all-in costs run around $1,351, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sparta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Sparta more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sparta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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