Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penafiel and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Penafiel: $1,518 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

Penafiel
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,518
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penafiel and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Penafiel and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,518 per month in Penafiel vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Penafiel $1,518
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,219 per month in Penafiel vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Penafiel $2,219
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,920 per month in Penafiel vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Penafiel $2,920
  • Medellin $3,199

Penafiel is about 7% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Penafiel and Medellin sit above the global median – Penafiel by 12%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.13 €9.01
$8.30 COP 26.3K
22.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.02 €40.05
$46.91 COP 148.7K
-4.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.10 €8.09
$9.24 COP 29.3K
-1.52%
Cappuccino
$1.37 €1.22
$3.05 COP 9,676
-55.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.80 COP 5,707
-15.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 €0.61
$1.38 COP 4,382
-50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 €2.17
$3.24 COP 10.3K
-25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$5.56 COP 17.6K
-50.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.50 COP 4,760
-30.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.37 COP 7,508
-54.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.70 COP 5,377
-17.65%
Eggs
$2.93 €2.61
$2.96 COP 9,379
-1.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.39 €9.24
$10.22 COP 32.4K
1.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.95 €6.18
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-28.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.50 €12.90
$13.90 COP 44.1K
4.32%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-52.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.53 COP 4,839
-7.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.22 COP 7,052
-8.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.86
$2.27 COP 7,194
-7.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 €0.74
$1.99 COP 6,311
-58.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.67 COP 5,285
-13.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.18 COP 3,742
-3.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.67
$1.24 COP 3,919
-38.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 €5.29
$3.87 COP 12.3K
53.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.17 €3.71
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-69.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.66 COP 5,256
-21.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 €2.84
$2.40 COP 7,615
32.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.07 €4.51
$1.24 COP 3,944
308.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.16
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-43.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 €3.97
$1.28 COP 4,044
248.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.15 COP 6,803
-33.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.87 €18.57
$8.37 COP 26.5K
149.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.35 COP 4,288
53.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K €29.5K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-4.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K €34.1K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
10.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 €94.1
$167 COP 528.4K
-36.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.55 €15.61
$13.62 COP 43.2K
28.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.46 €25.32
$29.12 COP 92.3K
-2.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.02 €24.93
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-37.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.40 €3.91
$6.97 COP 22.1K
-36.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$461 €410
$790 COP 2.5M
-41.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,307 €5,610
$9,041 COP 28.7M
-30.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$115 €103
$87.8 COP 278.4K
31.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.64 €31.71
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-38.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.5 €64.5
$139 COP 440.7K
-47.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.7
$98.9 COP 313.5K
7.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$853 €759
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-16.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$728 €648
$620 COP 2.0M
17.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 €1,163
$1,881 COP 6.0M
-30.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,120 €996
$1,008 COP 3.2M
11.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,251 €2,002
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-43.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,159 €1,921
$1,702 COP 5.4M
26.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Penafiel
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,246 €1,108
$663 COP 2.1M
87.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.7
10.94
-66.18%

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

Last update for Penafiel: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Penafiel
$728
Medellin
$619 14.9% $109
Groceries & Markets
Penafiel
$225
Medellin
$298 32.2% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Penafiel
$152
Medellin
$209 37.9% $58
Eating Out
Penafiel
$151
Medellin
$171 12.8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Penafiel
$148
Medellin
$173 16.4% $24
Getting Around
Penafiel
$76
Medellin
$95 25.3% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Penafiel
$37
Medellin
$59 60.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $853 in Penafiel versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 88% higher in Penafiel, 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 $45.00 in Penafiel versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $298 – making Penafiel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Penafiel
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
21:30 9:30 PM
15:30 3:30 PM
6 h behind Penafiel
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,630
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Penafiel Medellin 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Penafiel
  • Medellin

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
Penafiel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Penafiel?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 7%, 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 $2,277 per month in Penafiel and $2,437 in Medellin. 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 Penafiel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Penafiel or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Penafiel and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Penafiel and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,518 in Penafiel and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 7%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Penafiel or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Penafiel, where all-in costs run around $1,518, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Penafiel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Penafiel or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Penafiel – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Penafiel or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Penafiel. 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.

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