Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Timisoara: $1,197 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
Learn more

Timisoara Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Timisoara

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,197 in Timisoara, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Timisoara $1,197

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,776 in Timisoara, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Timisoara $1,776

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,354 in Timisoara, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Timisoara $2,354

Medellin costs about 37% more than Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Timisoara is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.64 RON 50.9

-23.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$46.12 RON 220

2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$8.44 RON 40.33

12.56%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.02 RON 14.43

-0.33%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.20 RON 10.53

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.64 RON 7.85

-14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.70 RON 12.92

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$4.10 RON 19.61

40.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.37 RON 6.56

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.20 RON 5.73

98.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.38 RON 6.59

28.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.92 RON 13.94

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.40 RON 40.16

21.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$5.88 RON 28.11

67.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$10.89 RON 52.0

28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.15 RON 5.50

245.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.46 RON 6.98

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.40 RON 6.69

55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.37 RON 11.34

-8.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.77 RON 3.68

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.96 RON 4.59

65.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.64 RON 3.06

79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.78 RON 3.75

58.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.25 RON 29.85

-36.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$7.46 RON 35.67

83.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.14 RON 5.43

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.75 RON 8.36

29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.07 RON 5.11

9.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$33.33 RON 159

132.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.84 RON 4.03

51.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.87 RON 4.15

135.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.40 RON 40.14

1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.90 RON 9.09

-28.95%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$28.9K RON 138.0K

17.97%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$24.8K RON 118.3K

40.08%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$168 RON 802

1.13%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$6.72 RON 32.11

101.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$8.47 RON 40.47

231.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$40.08 RON 192

9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$15.65 RON 74.8

9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.86 RON 37.57

-12.09%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$583 RON 2,785

36.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$8,900 RON 42.5K

2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$75.7 RON 362

11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$38.89 RON 186

49.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$75.5 RON 361

78.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$89.3 RON 427

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$568 RON 2,713

112.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$404 RON 1,929

58.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$802 RON 3,832

152.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$600 RON 2,865

68.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$2,656 RON 12.7K

57.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,847 RON 8,826

3.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,151 RON 5,501

-42.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.88

59.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Timisoara

$404 33.7% 37.1% $238

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Timisoara

$202 16.9% 31.8% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Timisoara

$183 15.3% 13.4% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Timisoara

$184 15.4% 8.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Timisoara

$126 10.5% 25.6% $43

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Timisoara

$43 3.6% 54.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Timisoara

$56 4.7% 3% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $568 in Timisoara. 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 75% higher in Timisoara, 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 $46 in Timisoara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $202 – making Timisoara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

23:24 11:24 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

319,279

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Timisoara 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Timisoara

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 Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,796 in Timisoara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Timisoara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $568 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Timisoara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,197 in Timisoara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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