Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rota and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Rota and in Medellin: $1,657 and $1,639 a month, rent and utilities included.

Rota, Spain
Medellin, Colombia
Rota
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,657
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,657 per month in Rota vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Rota $1,657
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,448 per month in Rota vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Rota $2,448
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,240 per month in Rota vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Rota $3,240
  • Medellin $3,186

Rota and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Rota and Medellin sit above the global median – Rota by 22%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.95 €15.19
$8.09 COP 26.1K
109.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.8 €56.3
$47.05 COP 151.9K
33.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.31 €11.03
$9.50 COP 30.7K
29.58%
Cappuccino
$2.20 €1.97
$3.01 COP 9,735
-26.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.43
$1.80 COP 5,809
50.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.41 COP 4,561
35.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.45 €3.10
$3.18 COP 10.3K
8.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.13
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-19.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.51 COP 4,876
-21.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 €1.30
$2.38 COP 7,678
-39.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.77 COP 5,720
-
Eggs
$3.33 €2.98
$2.89 COP 9,333
15.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.49 €13.88
$10.19 COP 32.9K
52.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.99 €7.16
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-19.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.24 €13.65
$13.99 COP 45.2K
8.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-35.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.55 COP 5,012
27.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 €1.58
$2.18 COP 7,048
-19.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.18 COP 7,051
17.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 €1.46
$1.96 COP 6,337
-16.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.59 COP 5,132
30.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.15 COP 3,699
9.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$1.24 COP 4,014
-42.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.44 €5.77
$3.96 COP 12.8K
62.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.57 €5.89
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-51.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.66 COP 5,359
-28.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.26 COP 7,291
3.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Rota
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.17 COP 3,771
42.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.10 €28.77
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-58.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 €1.72
$1.27 COP 4,094
51.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 €1.10
$2.05 COP 6,612
-40.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.49 €20.15
$8.55 COP 27.6K
163.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.35 COP 4,349
32.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K €30.1K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
-1.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K €28.0K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-9.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 €148
$170 COP 547.8K
-2.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.89 €9.76
$13.55 COP 43.8K
-19.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.02 €22.42
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-10.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.69 €40.05
$43.70 COP 141.1K
2.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.51 €13.90
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-9.77%
Cinema Ticket
$9.48 €8.50
$6.91 COP 22.3K
37.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$856 €767
$797 COP 2.6M
7.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,996 €8,957
$9,112 COP 29.4M
9.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.4 €80.1
$84.7 COP 273.5K
5.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.64 €34.62
$58.0 COP 187.2K
-33.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.7 €75.9
$135 COP 435.8K
-37.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €95.1
$97.9 COP 316.0K
8.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rota
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$882 €791
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-26.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$688 €617
$642 COP 2.1M
7.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,356 €1,215
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-33.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 €917
$1,012 COP 3.3M
1.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,235 €2,899
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-22.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,227 €1,995
$1,910 COP 6.2M
16.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rota
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.29
10.94
-69.93%

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

Last update for Rota: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rota
$688
Medellin
$642 6.8% $47
Groceries & Markets
Rota
$270
Medellin
$297 10.2% $27
Eating Out
Rota
$244
Medellin
$170 30.5% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rota
$201
Medellin
$211 5.3% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Rota
$143
Medellin
$169 17.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Rota
$64
Medellin
$58 9.6% $6.1
Getting Around
Rota
$47
Medellin
$94 99.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $882 in Rota 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Rota versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $270 in Rota vs $297 in Medellin – so Rota wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Rota
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
05:40 5:40 AM
23:40 11:40 PM
6 h behind Rota
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
29,675
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rota Medellin 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rota
  • 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
Rota vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,485 per month in Rota and $2,459 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 Rota, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $882 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Rota or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Rota and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 59% less in Rota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough for either Rota or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,657 in Rota and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Rota or in Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,657 in Rota. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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