Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Utena

For one person, living is cheaper in Utena: $1,347 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Utena, Lithuania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Utena
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$1,347
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Utena

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,347 in Utena, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Utena $1,347

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,040 in Utena, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Utena $2,040

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,733 in Utena, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Utena $2,733

Medellin costs about 22% more than Utena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$12.16 €10.85
-33.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$51.2 €45.71
-8.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$6.64 €5.92
43.07%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$3.05 €2.72
-1.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.74 €2.44
-34.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$1.93 €1.72
-26.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$5.60 €5.00
-43.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$4.89 €4.36
17.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.23 €1.10
22.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$1.46 €1.31
63.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.74 €1.55
1.72%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$2.82 €2.52
2.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$10.01 €8.93
1.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$5.86 €5.23
68.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$9.39 €8.38
48.99%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.60 €1.42
148.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.44 €1.29
7.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.64 €1.46
32.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$2.93 €2.62
-25.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$0.73 €0.65
168.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$0.99 €0.88
60.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$1.54 €1.37
-25.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.84 €0.75
47.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.74 €5.12
-31.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$8.26 €7.37
65.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.60 €1.43
3.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$1.72 €1.54
31.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Utena
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$1.16 €1.03
0.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$30.27 €27.00
155.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$3.09 €2.75
-58.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$0.87 €0.78
135.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$13.27 €11.84
-35.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.79 €1.59
-24.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$27.2K €24.3K
25.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$27.9K €24.9K
24.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$200 €179
-15.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$13.36 €11.92
1.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$11.40 €10.17
146.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$35.64 €31.80
22.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$24.52 €21.88
-29.89%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$8.71 €7.77
-20.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$508 €454
56.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$9,209 €8,216
-1.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$135 €120
-37.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$65.0 €58.0
-10.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$80.9 €72.2
66.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$183 €164
-46.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Utena
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$583 €520
107.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$389 €347
65.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$838 €748
141.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$636 €568
58.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$3,101 €2,767
34.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,927 €1,720
-0.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Utena
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,189 €1,061
-44.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.97
175.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Utena: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Utena
$389 39.4% $253
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Utena
$219 26.3% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Utena
$225 6.6% $14
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Utena
$210 24% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Utena
$209 23.6% $40
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Utena
$42 54.7% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Utena
$53 7.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $583 in Utena. 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 81% higher in Utena, 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 $51 in Utena. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $219 in Utena – so Utena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇹 Utena
🕒 Local time
12:33 12:33 PM
19:33 7:33 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
28,997
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Utena 10,130 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Utena

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 Utena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Utena cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 22%, 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 $2,021 in Utena. 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 Utena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $583 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Utena?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $51 in Utena. 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 Utena?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,347 in Utena. That makes Utena about 18% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Utena?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Utena, where all-in costs run around $1,347, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Utena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Utena more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Utena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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