Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Trieste

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,892 in Trieste, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Trieste
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Trieste Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Trieste

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Trieste

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,892 in Trieste, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Trieste $1,892

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,846 in Trieste, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Trieste $2,846

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,801 in Trieste, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Trieste $3,801

Medellin is about 11% cheaper than Trieste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Trieste sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Trieste by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$22.11 €19.64

-62.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$66.2 €58.8

-29.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$11.71 €10.40

-19.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.13 €1.89

46.95%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$3.82 €3.39

-53.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$2.16 €1.92

-34.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$6.58 €5.85

-52.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$5.52 €4.90

3.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$2.21 €1.96

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$3.09 €2.74

-25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$3.84 €3.41

-49.48%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$4.22 €3.75

-27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$15.02 €13.34

-33.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$11.55 €10.26

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$17.53 €15.57

-20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.75 €2.44

47.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$2.18 €1.93

-29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$3.13 €2.78

-32.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$4.55 €4.05

-49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$2.55 €2.27

-17.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$2.58 €2.29

-33.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$2.30 €2.04

-49.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.78 €0.70

102.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$6.87 €6.10

-43.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$7.99 €7.10

75.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.75 €1.56

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$2.50 €2.22

8.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$1.71 €1.52

-30.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$44.42 €39.46

71.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$7.60 €6.75

-76.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$1.86 €1.65

14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$28.95 €25.71

-71.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$2.15 €1.91

-40.47%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$35.2K €31.3K

-2.19%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$38.2K €34.0K

-10.73%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$219 €194

-18.72%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$10.05 €8.93

38.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$30.56 €27.15

0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$48.19 €42.81

-12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$40.93 €36.36

-58.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$8.97 €7.97

-16.72%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$748 €664

5.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$12.9K €11.5K

-4.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$108 €95.7

-19.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$39.41 €35.00

50.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$113 €101

22.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$132 €118

-25.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$787 €699

70.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$652 €579

2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,372 €1,219

43.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,021 €907

1.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$3,792 €3,368

8.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,349 €2,087

-17.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$2,004 €1,780

-67.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.26

235.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Trieste: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Trieste

$652 34.5% 2.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Trieste

$364 19.2% 18.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Trieste

$259 13.7% 16.6% $37

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Trieste

$305 16.1% 76.9% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Trieste

$177 9.4% 2.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Trieste

$68 3.6% 27% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Trieste

$66 3.5% 16.3% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $787 in Trieste. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Trieste are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $66 in Trieste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $364 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇹 Trieste

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

200,609

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Trieste 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Trieste

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 Trieste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Trieste is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,838 in Trieste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trieste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $787 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $66 in Trieste. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,892 in Trieste. That makes Medellin about 11% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,892 in Trieste, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,692 versus $1,892 in Trieste. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Trieste makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.