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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,328 per month in Utena vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,098 per month in Utena vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,868 per month in Utena vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Utena costs about 31% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Utena and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Utena 1% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 €9.89

$5.95 COP 21.2K

91.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €60.8

$33.33 COP 118.9K

110.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 €6.04

$7.23 COP 25.8K

-3.60%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.67

$1.63 COP 5,811

88.96%

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

$2.57 €2.22

$1.09 COP 3,904

135.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.67

$0.73 COP 2,604

163.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.13

$1.74 COP 6,197

240.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.89

$3.23 COP 11.5K

74.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.05 COP 3,742

27.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.29 COP 4,614

18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.32 COP 4,718

52.27%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.65

$2.27 COP 8,101

34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 €9.26

$4.35 COP 15.5K

145.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 €4.70

$5.88 COP 21.0K

-7.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.71 €8.42

$8.61 COP 30.7K

12.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 €1.17

$2.25 COP 8,015

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.07 COP 3,814

51.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.52 COP 5,438

16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.75

$1.42 COP 5,073

123.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.17 COP 4,173

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.17 COP 4,166

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$0.89 COP 3,163

75.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.90 COP 3,215

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.94

$2.25 COP 8,008

152.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.32

$11.04 COP 39.4K

-23.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.14 COP 4,063

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.56

$2.38 COP 8,483

-24.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.84 COP 2,979

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.93 €29.40

$41.95 COP 149.6K

-19.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.04

$1.41 COP 5,019

230.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.90 COP 6,779

-41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 €11.74

$7.75 COP 27.6K

74.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.01 COP 3,586

63.37%

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

$38.4K €33.3K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

118.41%

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

$28.5K €24.7K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

7.57%

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

$210 €182

$83.7 COP 298.4K

150.87%

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

$14.12 €12.24

$9.45 COP 33.7K

49.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.76 €10.19

$24.11 COP 86.0K

-51.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.48 €35.95

$25.31 COP 90.3K

63.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 €19.83

$19.14 COP 68.3K

19.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 €8.13

$4.10 COP 14.6K

128.78%

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

$454 €394

$312 COP 1.1M

45.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,117

$5,993 COP 21.4M

75.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 €120

$58.0 COP 207.0K

138.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 €37.01

$32.56 COP 116.1K

31.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €73.3

$99.6 COP 355.3K

-15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 €163

$109 COP 387.1K

73.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 €463

$482 COP 1.7M

10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 €313

$379 COP 1.4M

-4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 €714

$837 COP 3.0M

-1.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 €576

$723 COP 2.6M

-8.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 €2,281

$2,840 COP 10.1M

-7.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,649 €1,429

$1,223 COP 4.4M

34.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 €1,072

$541 COP 1.9M

128.78%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Utena versus $482 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 129% 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 $190 – 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 31%, 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 $1,992 per month in Utena and $1,525 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 $1,328 in Utena and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in Utena at $1,328. 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.