Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sintra and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sintra: $1,593 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

Sintra, Portugal
Medellin, Colombia
Sintra
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,593
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,593 per month in Sintra vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sintra $1,593
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Sintra vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sintra $2,321
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $3,048 per month in Sintra vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sintra $3,048
  • Medellin $3,249

Sintra is about 6% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sintra and Medellin sit above the global median – Sintra by 18%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.76 €11.38
$8.34 COP 27.0K
53.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.0 €49.05
$46.53 COP 150.9K
18.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.68 €7.75
$9.47 COP 30.7K
-8.34%
Cappuccino
$1.34 €1.19
$3.13 COP 10.2K
-57.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.77 COP 5,728
-12.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.42 COP 4,620
-16.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.05
$3.15 COP 10.2K
8.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$5.70 COP 18.5K
-51.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.53 COP 4,971
-33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 €1.12
$2.29 COP 7,431
-44.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.94 COP 6,308
-32.47%
Eggs
$2.71 €2.42
$3.07 COP 9,945
-11.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.72 €7.78
$9.99 COP 32.4K
-12.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.99 €6.24
$10.45 COP 33.9K
-33.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 €9.73
$13.96 COP 45.3K
-21.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.79 €1.60
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-55.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.53 COP 4,957
-16.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.10 COP 6,825
-32.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.29 COP 7,439
-3.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.11 COP 6,841
-37.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.71 COP 5,543
-3.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.17 COP 3,795
37.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 €0.60
$1.58 COP 5,125
-57.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.29 €5.61
$3.91 COP 12.7K
60.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.43 €3.06
$14.04 COP 45.6K
-75.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.76 COP 5,714
-25.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.71 COP 8,796
-49.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.18 COP 3,826
87.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.38 €35.12
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-48.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.56 €3.18
$1.81 COP 5,860
96.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.54 €0.49
$2.13 COP 6,906
-74.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.74 €14.93
$8.13 COP 26.4K
105.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.28 COP 4,136
70.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.2K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-1.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
12.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 €112
$178 COP 576.4K
-29.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.41 €19.10
$13.89 COP 45.0K
54.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.38 €39.59
$30.74 COP 99.7K
44.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.60 €36.21
$41.94 COP 136.0K
-3.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.08 €15.23
$16.80 COP 54.5K
1.67%
Cinema Ticket
$8.69 €7.75
$7.47 COP 24.2K
16.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$621 €554
$790 COP 2.6M
-21.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,054 €5,400
$12.3K COP 39.9M
-50.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.6 €68.3
$86.3 COP 280.0K
-11.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.72 €39.89
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-24.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.0
$138 COP 448.7K
-23.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.85 €44.46
$98.8 COP 320.5K
-49.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$974 €869
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-27.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$783 €699
$667 COP 2.2M
17.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 €1,415
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-19.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,195 €1,066
$1,033 COP 3.3M
15.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,102 €2,767
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-24.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,334 €2,082
$1,940 COP 6.3M
20.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sintra
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,320 €1,178
$646 COP 2.1M
104.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.54
10.94
-67.64%

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

Last update for Sintra: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sintra
$783
Medellin
$667 14.8% $116
Groceries & Markets
Sintra
$204
Medellin
$307 50.8% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sintra
$191
Medellin
$222 16.5% $31
Eating Out
Sintra
$178
Medellin
$173 2.9% $5.1
Clothing & Footwear
Sintra
$125
Medellin
$172 37.9% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Sintra
$58
Medellin
$57 1.9% $1.1
Getting Around
Sintra
$55
Medellin
$93 71.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $974 in Sintra versus $1,341 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 in Sintra are about 2 times higher, 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 $55 in Sintra versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Sintra vs $307 in Medellin – so Sintra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Sintra
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
00:28 12:28 AM
19:28 7:28 PM
5 h behind Sintra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
385,654
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sintra Medellin 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sintra
  • 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
Sintra vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sintra cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 6%, 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 $2,390 per month in Sintra and $2,538 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 Sintra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $974 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Sintra or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Sintra and $47 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 Sintra and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,593 in Sintra and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Sintra about 6% cheaper.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Sintra or in Medellin?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,593 in Sintra and $1,692 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Sintra or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sintra – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Sintra vs other spots: cost of living compared

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