Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vila Real

For one person, living is cheaper in Vila Real: $1,223 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Vila Real
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Vila Real Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Vila Real

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vila Real

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,223 in Vila Real, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Vila Real $1,223

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,790 in Vila Real, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Vila Real $1,790

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,356 in Vila Real, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Vila Real $2,356

Medellin costs about 34% more than Vila Real, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Vila Real is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.12 €8.17

-11.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$27.82 €24.92

69.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.61 €6.81

24.84%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.10 €0.99

173.64%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.70 €1.52

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.13 €1.02

24.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.40 €3.05

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.54 €1.38

273.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.91 €0.82

65.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.39 €1.25

71.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.20 €1.08

47.50%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.63 €2.36

9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.67 €8.66

5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.80 €6.98

26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$14.84 €13.29

-5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.68 €1.51

136.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.33 €1.19

16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.57 €1.41

38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.61 €2.34

-16.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.42 €1.27

38.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.72 €1.54

-7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.17 €1.05

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.43 €0.38

188.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.29 €5.64

-37.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$4.37 €3.91

213.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.10 €0.99

50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.63 €1.46

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.26 €1.12

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$24.62 €22.05

214.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$4.19 €3.75

-69.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.70 €1.52

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$16.81 €15.05

-49.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.08 €1.87

-35.10%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$31.6K €28.3K

7.66%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$37.4K €33.5K

-7.25%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$109 €97.3

56.23%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$16.62 €14.89

-18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$45.77 €41.00

-38.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$32.35 €28.97

35.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$10.22 €9.15

68.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.91 €7.98

-22.45%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$328 €294

142.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,782 €8,760

-6.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$64.9 €58.1

30.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$31.30 €28.04

85.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$84.7 €75.8

59.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$77.4 €69.3

26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$785 €703

53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$481 €431

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,010 €905

100.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$765 €685

32.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,711 €1,533

143.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,313 €1,176

45.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,075 €963

-38.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.55

208.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vila Real: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Vila Real

$481 39.4% 25% $160

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Vila Real

$222 18.1% 25.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Vila Real

$171 14% 19.1% $40

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Vila Real

$140 11.5% 17.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Vila Real

$116 9.5% 31.3% $53

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Vila Real

$42 3.5% 54.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Vila Real

$50 4.1% 12.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $785 in Vila Real. 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 64% higher in Vila Real, 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 $28 in Vila Real. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $222 – making Vila Real the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇹 Vila Real

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

02:46 2:46 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

49,574

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Vila Real 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Vila Real: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,835 in Vila Real. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vila Real, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $785 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $28 in Vila Real. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,223 in Vila Real. That makes Vila Real about 25% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,223 in Vila Real. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Vila Real is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.