Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo Alto and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,754 in Trujillo Alto, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
Medellin, Colombia
Trujillo Alto
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,754
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,754 per month in Trujillo Alto vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Trujillo Alto $1,754
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $2,637 per month in Trujillo Alto vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Trujillo Alto $2,637
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $3,520 per month in Trujillo Alto vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Trujillo Alto $3,520
  • Medellin $3,249

Trujillo Alto costs about 4% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Trujillo Alto and Medellin sit above the global median – Trujillo Alto by 30%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.83 $12.83
$8.34 COP 27.0K
53.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.6 $78.6
$46.53 COP 150.9K
68.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 $9.43
$9.47 COP 30.7K
-0.42%
Cappuccino
$2.91 $2.91
$3.13 COP 10.2K
-7.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.77 COP 5,728
8.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.42 COP 4,620
-30.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.03 $3.03
$3.15 COP 10.2K
-3.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 $3.89
$5.70 COP 18.5K
-31.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.53 COP 4,971
41.18%
White Bread (500g)
$3.36 $3.36
$2.29 COP 7,431
46.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.94 COP 6,308
24.74%
Eggs
$4.90 $4.90
$3.07 COP 9,945
59.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.64 $8.64
$9.99 COP 32.4K
-13.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.37 $9.37
$10.45 COP 33.9K
-10.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.81 $7.81
$13.96 COP 45.3K
-44.05%
Apples (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$4.05 COP 13.1K
5.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.53 COP 4,957
67.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$2.10 COP 6,825
125.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.29 COP 7,439
66.81%
Potato (1kg)
$3.74 $3.74
$2.11 COP 6,841
77.25%
Onion (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.71 COP 5,543
136.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.17 COP 3,795
197.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.58 COP 5,125
-2.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.11 $10.11
$3.91 COP 12.7K
158.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.96 $14.96
$14.04 COP 45.6K
6.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.76 COP 5,714
76.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09 $4.09
$2.71 COP 8,796
50.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.18 COP 3,826
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.81 COP 5,860
34.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$2.13 COP 6,906
-30.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.15 $42.15
$8.13 COP 26.4K
418.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.28 COP 4,136
-18.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K $34.4K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-0.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K $28.2K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-17.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 $327
$178 COP 576.4K
84.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.4 $58.4
$13.89 COP 45.0K
320.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.2 $69.2
$30.74 COP 99.7K
125.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.43 $29.43
$41.94 COP 136.0K
-29.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.16 $10.16
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-39.52%
Cinema Ticket
$10.69 $10.69
$7.47 COP 24.2K
43.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$344 $344
$790 COP 2.6M
-56.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,458 $5,458
$12.3K COP 39.9M
-55.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.36 $39.36
$86.3 COP 280.0K
-54.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.0 $54.0
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-8.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.0 $90.0
$138 COP 448.7K
-34.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$98.8 COP 320.5K
14.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$698 $698
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-47.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$544 $544
$667 COP 2.2M
-18.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,160 $1,160
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-41.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$960 $960
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-7.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,903 $1,903
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-53.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,614 $1,614
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-16.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Trujillo Alto
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,311 $3,311
$646 COP 2.1M
412.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
10.94
-40.13%

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

Last update for Trujillo Alto: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Trujillo Alto
$544
Medellin
$667 22.7% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Trujillo Alto
$455
Medellin
$222 51.1% $233
Groceries & Markets
Trujillo Alto
$361
Medellin
$307 14.8% $54
Eating Out
Trujillo Alto
$200
Medellin
$173 13.8% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Trujillo Alto
$133
Medellin
$172 29.3% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Trujillo Alto
$51
Medellin
$57 12% $6.1
Getting Around
Trujillo Alto
$9.8 *
Medellin
$93 853% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $698 in Trujillo Alto 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 Trujillo Alto are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Trujillo Alto versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 Trujillo Alto
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
07:53 7:53 AM
06:53 6:53 AM
1 h behind Trujillo Alto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,712
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Trujillo Alto Medellin 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Trujillo Alto
  • 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
Trujillo Alto vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Trujillo Alto?
Yes – Trujillo Alto is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,631 per month in Trujillo Alto 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 Trujillo Alto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $698 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Trujillo Alto or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Trujillo Alto and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Trujillo Alto and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Trujillo Alto, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,500 enough for either Trujillo Alto or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,754 in Trujillo Alto and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Trujillo Alto or in Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,754 in Trujillo Alto. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
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, Trujillo Alto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Trujillo Alto vs other spots: cost of living compared

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