Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ungheni Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ungheni

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $955 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,709 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $2,463 in Ungheni, rent included.

Medellin costs about 8% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Ungheni 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$7.20 MDL 124

-16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$31.11 MDL 538

5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$5.70 MDL 98.4

30.18%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.42 MDL 24.60

16.20%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.70 MDL 12.11

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.40 MDL 6.83

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.39 MDL 24.01

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.42 MDL 24.54

125.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.28 MDL 22.14

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.45 MDL 7.75

191.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$0.99 MDL 17.06

35.35%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.26 MDL 39.02

-3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$7.51 MDL 130

-41.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.96 MDL 68.5

43.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$6.67 MDL 115

27.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$0.50 MDL 8.72

368.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.45 MDL 25.05

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.67 MDL 28.92

-8.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.35 MDL 23.33

1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.51 MDL 8.85

125.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.34 MDL 5.83

247.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$1.32 MDL 22.76

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.51 MDL 8.86

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.15 MDL 54.4

-28.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$4.36 MDL 75.4

166.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.19 MDL 20.55

0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.34 MDL 23.18

85.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.34 MDL 5.80

132.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.71 MDL 29.51

-14.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.25 MDL 4.30

668.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$4.46 MDL 77.0

74.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.25 MDL 21.52

-19.20%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$32.4K MDL 560.2K

-45.54%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$30.7K MDL 529.7K

-13.69%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$167 MDL 2,892

-51.54%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$7.58 MDL 131

24.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$10.71 MDL 185

122.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$20.72 MDL 358

25.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$4.12 MDL 71.2

-0.73%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$384 MDL 6,635

-18.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$7,561 MDL 130.7K

-20.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$43.99 MDL 760

35.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$22.01 MDL 380

45.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$40.19 MDL 694

151.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$109 MDL 1,881

-3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$965 MDL 16.7K

-49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$371 MDL 6,413

-1.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$1,481 MDL 25.6K

-44.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$1,241 MDL 21.4K

-41.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,277 MDL 39.3K

31.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,696 MDL 29.3K

-22.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $965 in Ungheni. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $148 – making Ungheni the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ungheni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $1,432 in Ungheni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ungheni, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $31.00 in Ungheni. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Ungheni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ungheni. 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.