Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portoviejo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $877 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$877

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portoviejo 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 Portoviejo and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $877 per month in Portoviejo vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Portoviejo $877
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Portoviejo vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Portoviejo $1,400
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Portoviejo vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Portoviejo $1,924
Medellin $3,186

Portoviejo is about 46% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Portoviejo sits 36% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 $4.06

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-49.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 $51.6

$47.05 COP 148.0K

9.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 $8.95

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-5.79%

Cappuccino

$2.93 $2.93

$3.01 COP 9,485

-2.66%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$1.80 COP 5,660

-47.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.41 COP 4,443

-52.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.18 COP 9,990

-8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-27.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.51 COP 4,751

-22.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.38 COP 7,480

-15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.77 COP 5,573

-18.08%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.89 COP 9,093

-25.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-31.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-48.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-61.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.55 COP 4,883

-25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.18 COP 6,867

-54.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.18 COP 6,870

-55.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.96 COP 6,174

-37.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.59 COP 5,000

-37.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.15 COP 3,604

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.24 COP 3,911

-24.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.96 COP 12.5K

52.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.66 COP 5,221

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.26 COP 7,103

-3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.17 COP 3,674

-70.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.27 COP 3,989

110.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.05 COP 6,442

-12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.17 $12.17

$8.55 COP 26.9K

42.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.35 COP 4,237

-34.81%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-32.53%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-11.03%

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

$33.95 $33.95

$170 COP 533.7K

-79.99%

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

$14.67 $14.67

$13.55 COP 42.6K

8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.33 $26.33

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.57 $31.57

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-27.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 $16.27

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-5.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 $7.54

$6.91 COP 21.7K

9.12%

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

$375 $375

$797 COP 2.5M

-52.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,671 $5,671

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-37.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 $41.29

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-28.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$135 COP 424.6K

-8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 $92.4

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 $415

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-65.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$642 COP 2.0M

-57.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 $914

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-54.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-57.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,019 $1,019

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-75.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 $789

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-58.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 $331

$657 COP 2.1M

-49.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.94

-8.14%

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

Last update for Portoviejo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portoviejo

$273 31.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 135% $368

Groceries & Markets

Portoviejo

$201 22.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 48% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Portoviejo

$145 16.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 16.6% $24

Eating Out

Portoviejo

$124 14.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 37% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portoviejo

$75 8.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 182% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Portoviejo

$47 5.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 23.3% $11

Getting Around

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 623% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Portoviejo versus $1,208 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 98% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Portoviejo versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Portoviejo vs $297 in Medellin – so Portoviejo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

Same time as Portoviejo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,641

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Portoviejo Medellin 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Portoviejo
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

Portoviejo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,316 per month in Portoviejo and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portoviejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Portoviejo and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $877 in Portoviejo and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Portoviejo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.