Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tarragona

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,767 in Tarragona, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Tarragona, Spain
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Tarragona
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,767
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tarragona

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,767 in Tarragona, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Tarragona $1,767

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,621 in Tarragona, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Tarragona $2,621

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,474 in Tarragona, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Tarragona $3,474

Medellin is about 4% cheaper than Tarragona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Tarragona sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Tarragona by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$17.55 €15.63
-52.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$61.1 €54.4
-23.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$8.73 €7.77
8.48%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$2.46 €2.19
27.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$2.44 €2.17
-27.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$2.04 €1.82
-30.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$3.31 €2.95
-4.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$3.93 €3.50
45.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$1.25 €1.11
22.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$1.98 €1.77
15.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$1.47 €1.31
31.97%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$3.54 €3.15
-13.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$13.24 €11.79
-24.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$10.18 €9.07
2.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$14.52 €12.93
-3.86%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.82 €2.51
43.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$2.58 €2.30
-40.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$2.89 €2.57
-27.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$2.56 €2.28
-10.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$1.54 €1.37
37.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$2.00 €1.78
-14.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$1.44 €1.28
-18.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$0.69 €0.61
128.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$6.86 €6.10
-43.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$4.93 €4.39
184.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$2.01 €1.79
-12.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
$1.82 €1.62
48.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
$1.63 €1.45
-27.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$27.05 €24.08
182.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$4.03 €3.59
-55.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
$1.54 €1.37
38.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$21.58 €19.21
-62.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$1.78 €1.58
-28.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$34.7K €30.9K
-0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
$29.8K €26.5K
14.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$144 €128
23.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$23.20 €20.66
-40.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$37.37 €33.28
-17.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
$60.4 €53.8
-30.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$24.53 €21.85
-31.51%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$8.87 €7.90
-15.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$314 €280
151.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
$104 €92.9
-17.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$33.89 €30.18
74.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
$80.9 €72.1
70.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
$88.2 €78.6
11.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$927 €825
44.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$775 €690
-13.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,231 €1,096
60.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,191 €1,060
-13.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$2,694 €2,399
52.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,300 €1,157
49.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tarragona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$2,063 €1,837
-68.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.02
262.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tarragona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Tarragona
$775 16.2% $108
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Tarragona
$287 6.7% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Tarragona
$205 7.9% $18
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Tarragona
$239 38.2% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Tarragona
$138 19.7% $34
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Tarragona
$45 51.5% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Tarragona
$78 37.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $927 in Tarragona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tarragona are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $61 in Tarragona. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $287 in Tarragona – so Tarragona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇸 Tarragona
🕒 Local time
11:18 11:18 AM
17:18 5:18 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
138,262
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tarragona 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tarragona

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 Tarragona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Tarragona?
Yes – Tarragona is pricier by about 4%, 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 $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,651 in Tarragona. 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 Tarragona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $927 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tarragona?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $61 in Tarragona. 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 Tarragona?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,767 in Tarragona. That makes Medellin about 4% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Tarragona?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,767 in Tarragona, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Tarragona?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,767 in Tarragona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tarragona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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