Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tortona

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,782 in Tortona, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Tortona despite lower rent and utilities.

Medellin, Colombia
Tortona, Italy
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Tortona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tortona

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,782 in Tortona, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Tortona $1,782

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,786 in Tortona, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Tortona $2,786

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,790 in Tortona, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Tortona $3,790

Medellin is about 8% cheaper than Tortona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Tortona sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Tortona by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$22.65 €20.35
-64.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$79.8 €71.7
-41.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$11.32 €10.17
-16.08%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$1.86 €1.67
61.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$3.26 €2.93
-44.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$1.29 €1.16
9.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$5.61 €5.04
-43.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$4.51 €4.05
27.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.57 €1.41
-3.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$3.08 €2.77
-22.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$2.65 €2.38
-33.21%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$3.33 €2.99
-13.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$14.69 €13.20
-30.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$12.62 €11.34
-21.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$24.10 €21.65
-41.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$3.10 €2.79
28.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$2.86 €2.57
-45.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$3.06 €2.75
-28.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$4.15 €3.73
-47.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.88 €1.69
4.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.91 €1.72
-16.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.38 €1.24
-16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.42 €0.38
195.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$6.29 €5.65
-37.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$6.63 €5.96
106.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.87 €1.68
-11.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$3.55 €3.19
-36.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$1.81 €1.63
-35.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$37.13 €33.35
108.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$7.88 €7.08
-83.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$2.21 €1.99
-7.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$16.44 €14.77
-47.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$2.08 €1.86
-35.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$31.6K €28.4K
7.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$35.9K €32.3K
-3.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$274 €246
-38.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$15.55 €13.97
-12.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$32.46 €29.16
-13.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$50.1 €44.97
-12.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$23.46 €21.07
-26.73%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$12.24 €10.99
-43.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$396 €355
101.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$10.2K €9,172
-10.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$79.6 €71.5
6.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$41.38 €37.17
40.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$98.0 €88.0
37.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$139 €125
-29.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$639 €574
88.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$502 €451
27.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,312 €1,179
54.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$923 €829
9.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$2,881 €2,588
44.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$2,153 €1,934
-11.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tortona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.8
127.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tortona: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Tortona
$502 21.7% $139
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Tortona
$365 23% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Tortona
$322 52.5% $111
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Tortona
$293 72.6% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Tortona
$161 4.6% $7.7
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Tortona
$63 32.3% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tortona
$75 29.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $639 in Tortona. 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 $80 in Tortona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $365 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇹 Tortona
🕒 Local time
10:02 10:02 AM
16:02 4:02 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
25,227
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tortona 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tortona

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 Tortona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Tortona?
Yes – Tortona is pricier by about 9%, 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,673 in Tortona. 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 Tortona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $639 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tortona?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $80 in Tortona. 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 Tortona?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,782 in Tortona. That’s a gap of about 9%.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Tortona?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,782 in Tortona, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Tortona?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,782 in Tortona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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