Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Turda

For one person, living is cheaper in Turda: $1,070 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Turda, Romania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Turda
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,070
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Turda

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,070 in Turda, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Turda $1,070

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,607 in Turda, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Turda $1,607

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,144 in Turda, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Turda $2,144

Medellin costs about 53% more than Turda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Turda is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$12.61 RON 60.1
-35.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$32.43 RON 155
45.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$8.54 RON 40.67
11.24%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$2.81 RON 13.40
7.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.82 RON 8.69
-1.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$1.41 RON 6.71
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$2.13 RON 10.13
49.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.05 RON 9.78
180.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.44 RON 6.87
4.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$1.43 RON 6.79
66.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.55 RON 7.38
14.19%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$2.85 RON 13.56
1.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$6.04 RON 28.79
68.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$6.60 RON 31.45
49.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$11.58 RON 55.2
20.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.10 RON 5.25
260.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.48 RON 7.05
4.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.37 RON 6.53
59.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$2.46 RON 11.70
-11.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$0.98 RON 4.67
100.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$0.90 RON 4.28
76.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$1.00 RON 4.75
15.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$1.01 RON 4.82
22.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.32 RON 25.37
-25.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$7.19 RON 34.24
90.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.21 RON 5.77
37.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$1.59 RON 7.60
42.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Turda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$1.22 RON 5.83
-4.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$21.96 RON 105
252.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.80 RON 3.83
58.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$0.75 RON 3.58
173.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$6.11 RON 29.10
39.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.83 RON 8.73
-26.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$29.0K RON 138.2K
17.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$25.4K RON 121.2K
36.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$153 RON 729
10.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$8.74 RON 41.65
55.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$9.36 RON 44.60
199.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$37.70 RON 180
15.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$19.23 RON 91.6
-10.61%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$9.53 RON 45.41
-27.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$597 RON 2,843
33.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$6,363 RON 30.3K
43.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$42.42 RON 202
99.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$42.25 RON 201
37.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$102 RON 486
32.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$109 RON 517
-9.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Turda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$378 RON 1,803
219.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$281 RON 1,339
128.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$595 RON 2,835
240.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$442 RON 2,106
128.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,816 RON 8,652
129.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,264 RON 6,020
51.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Turda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$741 RON 3,529
-11.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.65
64.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Turda: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Turda
$281 56.2% $360
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Turda
$209 29.7% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Turda
$171 19% $40
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Turda
$188 10.8% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Turda
$133 21.4% $36
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Turda
$31 66.4% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Turda
$57 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $378 in Turda. 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 13% higher in Turda, 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 $32 in Turda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $209 – making Turda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇴 Turda
🕒 Local time
08:50 8:50 AM
15:50 3:50 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
47,744
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Turda 10,210 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Turda

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 Turda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Turda cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,605 in Turda. 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 Turda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $378 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Turda?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $32 in Turda. 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 Turda?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,070 in Turda. That makes Turda about 35% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Turda?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Turda, where all-in costs run around $1,070, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Turda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Turda more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Turda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Turda is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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