Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sutomore Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sutomore

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,139 in Sutomore, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,747 in Sutomore, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,354 in Sutomore, rent included.

Medellin costs about 44% more than Sutomore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Sutomore is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$11.39 €9.79

-29.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$37.11 €31.91

30.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$9.25 €7.95

1.84%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.69 €2.31

9.29%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$2.25 €1.94

-17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$1.58 €1.36

-7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$2.84 €2.45

13.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$3.46 €2.97

65.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.19 €1.02

21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.01 €0.87

137.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$2.37 €2.04

-28.27%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$3.18 €2.74

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$9.18 €7.89

9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$7.77 €6.68

28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$12.76 €10.97

11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$1.31 €1.13

203.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.60 €1.38

-1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.60 €1.38

34.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$3.01 €2.58

-23.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$0.89 €0.77

124.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.15 €0.99

31.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.53 €1.32

-21.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.91 €0.78

40.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$3.98 €3.42

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$4.58 €3.94

205.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.28 €1.10

33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$1.74 €1.49

57.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$1.69 €1.45

-26.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$40.87 €35.14

90.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$1.14 €0.98

14.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$1.17 €1.01

85.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$17.25 €14.84

-51.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.73 €1.49

-21.39%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$30.7K €26.4K

-10.60%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$21.8K €18.8K

67.47%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$138 €118

22.66%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$13.76 €11.83

-1.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$34.84 €29.96

-18.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$46.26 €39.78

-1.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$15.27 €13.13

12.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$6.42 €5.52

3.58%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$418 €359

92.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$7,360 €6,328

24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$88.3 €75.9

-1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$34.96 €30.06

69.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$76.6 €65.9

81.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$99.5 €85.6

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$385 €331

178.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$292 €251

123.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$583 €501

230.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$532 €458

96.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$3,515 €3,023

17.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$2,427 €2,087

-30.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$702 €604

-6.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sutomore: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $385 in Sutomore. 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 7% higher in Sutomore, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Sutomore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $227 – making Sutomore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sutomore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,708 in Sutomore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sutomore, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $37.00 in Sutomore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,139 in Sutomore. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sutomore, where all-in costs run around $1,139, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Sutomore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sutomore – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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