Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $1,001 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Targu Frumos, Romania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Targu Frumos
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,001
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Targu Frumos

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,001 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Targu Frumos $1,001

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,527 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Targu Frumos $1,527

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,053 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Targu Frumos $2,053

Medellin costs about 64% more than Targu Frumos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Targu Frumos is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$10.73 RON 51.5
-24.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$41.38 RON 198
13.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$7.43 RON 35.62
27.86%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$2.42 RON 11.59
24.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$2.10 RON 10.07
-14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$1.87 RON 8.99
-24.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$2.05 RON 9.85
55.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$3.21 RON 15.39
79.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$1.18 RON 5.64
27.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$0.71 RON 3.38
235.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$1.72 RON 8.25
2.91%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$3.37 RON 16.17
-14.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$7.75 RON 37.17
31.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$5.95 RON 28.55
65.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$8.22 RON 39.44
70.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$1.30 RON 6.23
205.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$1.59 RON 7.60
-2.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$1.59 RON 7.60
37.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$1.77 RON 8.49
23.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$0.95 RON 4.54
106.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$1.01 RON 4.84
57.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$0.80 RON 3.84
43.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.69 RON 3.31
79.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$5.88 RON 28.20
-32.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$5.17 RON 24.80
164.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$0.93 RON 4.48
78.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$1.22 RON 5.86
85.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$0.72 RON 3.45
62.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
$21.53 RON 103
259.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$0.61 RON 2.91
108.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.64 RON 3.08
220.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$6.93 RON 33.21
23.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.80 RON 8.65
-25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$28.1K RON 134.8K
21.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$25.1K RON 120.3K
38.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$148 RON 712
14.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$7.74 RON 37.12
75.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$7.74 RON 37.13
262.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$37.80 RON 181
15.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$20.56 RON 98.6
-16.39%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$6.18 RON 29.64
11.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$589 RON 2,827
35.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$4,907 RON 23.5K
85.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$97.0 RON 465
-12.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$32.37 RON 155
79.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$61.4 RON 294
119.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$84.1 RON 403
16.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$387 RON 1,856
212.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$283 RON 1,359
126.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$589 RON 2,825
244.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$450 RON 2,159
124.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$1,817 RON 8,715
129.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$1,363 RON 6,537
40.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Targu Frumos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
7.2
51.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Targu Frumos
$283 55.8% $358
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Targu Frumos
$182 38.8% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Targu Frumos
$164 22.4% $47
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Targu Frumos
$170 0.1% $0.1
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Targu Frumos
$124 26.8% $45
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Targu Frumos
$28 69.8% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Targu Frumos
$50 12.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $387 in Targu Frumos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $41 in Targu Frumos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $182 – making Targu Frumos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇴 Targu Frumos
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
03:24 3:24 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
13,875
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.8 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Targu Frumos 10,440 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Targu Frumos

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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Targu Frumos cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,502 in Targu Frumos. 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 Targu Frumos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $387 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Targu Frumos?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $41 in Targu Frumos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Targu Frumos?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,001 in Targu Frumos. That makes Targu Frumos about 39% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Targu Frumos?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Targu Frumos, where all-in costs run around $1,001, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Targu Frumos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Targu Frumos more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Targu Frumos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Targu Frumos is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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