Cost of Living Comparison Between Utena and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Utena and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,342 per month in Utena vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Utena vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,832 per month in Utena vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Utena costs about 32% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Utena sits 0% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.52 €10.12

$5.93 COP 19.1K

94.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.3

$33.12 COP 106.6K

110.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 €6.14

$7.12 COP 22.9K

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.69

$1.71 COP 5,487

78.36%

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

$2.57 €2.26

$1.05 COP 3,374

144.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.72 COP 2,324

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.06

$1.72 COP 5,531

234.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 €4.78

$3.17 COP 10.2K

71.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.06 COP 3,426

25.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.41

$1.31 COP 4,215

22.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.33 COP 4,279

48.12%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.60

$2.28 COP 7,338

29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 €9.26

$4.42 COP 14.2K

138.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 €4.64

$5.92 COP 19.0K

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 €8.89

$8.64 COP 27.8K

17.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.34 COP 7,545

-41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.48

$1.10 COP 3,546

52.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.47 COP 4,724

17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.79

$1.38 COP 4,439

130.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 €0.67

$1.17 COP 3,774

-35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.17 COP 3,765

-19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.90 COP 2,905

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.84 COP 2,708

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 €4.76

$2.33 COP 7,490

132.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 €7.64

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-27.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.45

$1.15 COP 3,693

43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.53

$2.42 COP 7,791

-28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €1.00

$0.84 COP 2,702

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.02 €29.91

$40.83 COP 131.4K

-16.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.95

$1.41 COP 4,541

219.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 €1.02

$1.91 COP 6,160

-39.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 €12.12

$7.83 COP 25.2K

75.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.44

$0.94 COP 3,037

74.47%

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

$39.1K €34.4K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

119.67%

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

$29.3K €25.8K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

8.22%

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

$207 €182

$83.3 COP 267.9K

148.81%

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

$13.92 €12.24

$9.66 COP 31.1K

44.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.61 €10.21

$24.22 COP 77.9K

-52.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 €36.75

$25.22 COP 81.2K

65.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.34 €20.52

$19.33 COP 62.2K

20.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €8.09

$4.07 COP 13.1K

126.29%

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

$472 €415

$307 COP 986.5K

54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,216

$5,981 COP 19.2M

75.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 €122

$60.0 COP 192.9K

132.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.09 €38.76

$32.65 COP 105.1K

35.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €74.3

$101 COP 325.2K

-16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 €168

$108 COP 347.6K

76.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 €465

$476 COP 1.5M

11.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 €310

$379 COP 1.2M

-6.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 €729

$816 COP 2.6M

1.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €564

$707 COP 2.3M

-9.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,973 €2,614

$3,190 COP 10.3M

-6.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 €1,529

$1,446 COP 4.7M

20.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,249 €1,098

$622 COP 2.0M

100.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.13

13.43

-69.25%

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

Last update for Utena: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Utena versus $476 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 101% higher in Utena, 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 $70.0 in Utena versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $192 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Utena vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Utena is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,012 per month in Utena and $1,527 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $70.0 in Utena and $33.00 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 $1,342 in Utena and $1,018 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in Utena at $1,342. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Utena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.