Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Quito $978
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Quito $1,586
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Quito $2,194
Medellin $3,190

Quito is about 39% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 28% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$46.13 COP 146.3K

20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-19.89%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.11 COP 9,866

9.32%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$1.83 COP 5,800

-25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.38 COP 4,360

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.05 COP 9,672

12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.50 COP 17.4K

10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.45 COP 4,600

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.36 COP 7,496

-32.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.68 COP 5,328

-5.95%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$2.86 COP 9,077

-25.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-42.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-45.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.50 COP 4,742

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.17 COP 6,891

-38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.31 COP 7,310

-51.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.93 COP 6,113

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.64 COP 5,196

-37.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.13 COP 3,571

-18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.25 COP 3,954

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.99 COP 12.6K

54.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-24.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.70 COP 5,384

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.37 COP 7,525

30.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.21 COP 3,827

-70.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-72.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.32 COP 4,179

15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.14 COP 6,774

-30.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.47 COP 26.8K

16.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.30 COP 4,114

-37.69%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-24.07%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-21.22%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$172 COP 545.6K

-83.29%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$13.37 COP 42.4K

33.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-1.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$45.24 COP 143.5K

1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.04 COP 54.0K

4.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$6.28 COP 19.9K

0.96%

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

$739 $739

$770 COP 2.4M

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$137 COP 432.9K

-16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$97.9 COP 310.4K

9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$616 COP 2.0M

-49.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-50.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-47.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-56.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-57.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$652 COP 2.1M

-8.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.94

-7.50%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 99.4% $307

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 48.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 10.3% $16

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 11.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 186% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 1.6% $0.9

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 194% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $1,055 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 10% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Quito versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $295 in Medellin – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Medellin 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quito
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

Quito vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Quito and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, 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 $55.0 in Quito and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $978 in Quito and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 65%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. 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.