Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trieste and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,892 in Trieste, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Trieste, Italy
Medellin, Colombia
Trieste
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,892
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,892 per month in Trieste vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Trieste $1,892
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $2,846 per month in Trieste vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Trieste $2,846
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $3,801 per month in Trieste vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Trieste $3,801
  • Medellin $3,249

Trieste costs about 12% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Trieste and Medellin sit above the global median – Trieste by 40%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.11 €19.64
$8.34 COP 27.0K
165.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.8
$46.53 COP 150.9K
42.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 €10.40
$9.47 COP 30.7K
23.65%
Cappuccino
$2.13 €1.89
$3.13 COP 10.2K
-31.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 €3.39
$1.77 COP 5,727
115.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.42 COP 4,619
52.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 €5.85
$3.15 COP 10.2K
108.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.52 €4.90
$5.70 COP 18.5K
-3.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.96
$1.53 COP 4,969
44.44%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 €2.74
$2.29 COP 7,429
34.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.84 €3.41
$1.94 COP 6,306
97.94%
Eggs
$4.22 €3.75
$3.07 COP 9,942
37.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.02 €13.34
$9.99 COP 32.4K
50.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.55 €10.26
$10.45 COP 33.9K
10.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.53 €15.57
$13.96 COP 45.3K
25.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 €2.44
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-32.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.93
$1.53 COP 4,956
42.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 €2.78
$2.10 COP 6,823
49.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.55 €4.05
$2.29 COP 7,437
98.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.11 COP 6,839
20.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 €2.29
$1.71 COP 5,542
50.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 €2.04
$1.17 COP 3,794
96.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 €0.70
$1.58 COP 5,123
-50.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.10
$3.91 COP 12.7K
75.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 €7.10
$14.04 COP 45.5K
-43.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.76 COP 5,712
-0.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.71 COP 8,793
-7.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.18 COP 3,825
44.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.42 €39.46
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-41.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.60 €6.75
$1.81 COP 5,859
319.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.13 COP 6,904
-12.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.95 €25.71
$8.13 COP 26.4K
256.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.28 COP 4,135
67.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K €31.3K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
2.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.0K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
12.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 €194
$178 COP 576.3K
23.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.05 €8.93
$13.89 COP 45.0K
-27.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.56 €27.15
$30.74 COP 99.7K
-0.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.19 €42.81
$41.94 COP 136.0K
14.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.93 €36.36
$16.80 COP 54.5K
143.63%
Cinema Ticket
$8.97 €7.97
$7.47 COP 24.2K
20.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$748 €664
$790 COP 2.6M
-5.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.5K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
4.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €95.7
$86.3 COP 279.9K
24.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.41 €35.00
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-33.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €101
$138 COP 448.6K
-18.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €118
$98.8 COP 320.4K
34.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$787 €699
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-41.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €579
$667 COP 2.2M
-2.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,372 €1,219
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-30.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 €907
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-1.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,792 €3,368
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-7.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,349 €2,087
$1,940 COP 6.3M
21.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Trieste
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,004 €1,780
$646 COP 2.1M
210.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.26
10.94
-70.20%

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

Last update for Trieste: 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
Trieste
$652
Medellin
$667 2.3% $15
Groceries & Markets
Trieste
$364
Medellin
$307 15.5% $57
Eating Out
Trieste
$305
Medellin
$173 43.5% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Trieste
$259
Medellin
$222 14.2% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Trieste
$177
Medellin
$172 2.6% $4.6
Getting Around
Trieste
$68
Medellin
$93 37.1% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Trieste
$66
Medellin
$57 14% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $787 in Trieste 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 Trieste are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Trieste versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Trieste
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
20:09 8:09 PM
14:09 2:09 PM
6 h behind Trieste
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
200,609
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 = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Trieste Medellin 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Trieste
  • 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
Trieste vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Trieste?
Yes – Trieste is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,838 per month in Trieste 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 Trieste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $787 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Trieste or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Trieste 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 Trieste and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,892 in Trieste and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 11% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Trieste or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,892 in Trieste and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,692 versus $1,892 in Trieste. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Trieste makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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