Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tomar

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomar: $1,295 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Tomar
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,295
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tomar

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,295 in Tomar, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Tomar $1,295

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,821 in Tomar, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Tomar $1,821

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,347 in Tomar, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Tomar $2,347

Medellin costs about 25% more than Tomar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tomar is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$13.37 €11.89
-40.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$37.89 €33.71
21.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$8.69 €7.73
9.32%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$1.88 €1.67
65.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.79 €1.59
2.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.42 €1.27
-2.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$2.26 €2.01
34.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$2.51 €2.24
119.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.08 €0.96
34.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.77 €1.57
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.41 €1.25
19.15%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$2.72 €2.42
5.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$12.80 €11.39
-20.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$6.50 €5.78
46.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$14.31 €12.73
-1.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$1.91 €1.69
113.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.41 €1.26
6.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.84 €1.64
17.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$2.51 €2.23
-7.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.83 €1.63
5.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.14 €1.01
43.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.53 €1.36
-26.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$1.14 €1.01
9.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$6.88 €6.12
-42.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$4.56 €4.05
192.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.34 €1.20
26.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$2.21 €1.96
7.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$2.01 €1.79
-39.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$37.43 €33.29
104.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$4.34 €3.86
-69.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.49 €1.33
43.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$20.77 €18.48
-59.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.82 €1.62
-28.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$31.9K €28.3K
-12.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$38.0K €33.8K
-6.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$106 €94.5
62.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$17.23 €15.33
-22.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$42.90 €38.16
-33.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$41.15 €36.61
9.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$17.73 €15.77
-3.89%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$9.16 €8.15
-31.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$311 €277
147.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$6,305 €5,608
42.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$66.3 €59.0
30.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$35.12 €31.24
62.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$74.5 €66.3
83.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$90.3 €80.3
8.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$757 €673
39.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$463 €412
33.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$907 €807
108.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$502 €447
103.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$3,038 €2,702
33.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,257 €2,008
-25.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tomar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$1,077 €958
-39.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.7
195.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tomar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Tomar
$463 24.8% $153
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Tomar
$245 17% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Tomar
$166 22.3% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Tomar
$120 29.6% $50
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Tomar
$185 9.7% $16
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Tomar
$57 38.7% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tomar
$59 2.9% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $757 in Tomar. 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 65% higher in Tomar, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in Tomar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $245 – making Tomar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇹 Tomar
🕒 Local time
20:26 8:26 PM
02:26 2:26 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
36,414
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tomar 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tomar

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 Tomar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tomar cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 25%, 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 $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,943 in Tomar. 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 Tomar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tomar?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $38.00 in Tomar. 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 Tomar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,295 in Tomar. That's a gap of about 25%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Tomar?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tomar, where all-in costs run around $1,295, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Tomar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Tomar more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tomar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Tomar?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Tomar. 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.

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