Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,007 per month in Aachen vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,044 per month in Aachen vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,082 per month in Aachen vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Aachen costs about 94% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Aachen sits 50% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.07 €13.72

$5.92 COP 21.5K

171.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €68.0

$32.75 COP 119.1K

143.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €9.75

$7.20 COP 26.2K

58.61%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.47

$1.70 COP 6,186

138.82%

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

$3.28 €2.80

$1.10 COP 3,996

198.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.59

$0.72 COP 2,625

322.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 €4.51

$1.67 COP 6,067

216.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.91

$3.10 COP 11.3K

47.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.06 COP 3,837

14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.93

$1.25 COP 4,531

80.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.81

$1.39 COP 5,060

136.69%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.01

$2.26 COP 8,229

55.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 €12.50

$4.33 COP 15.8K

238.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 €11.93

$5.84 COP 21.2K

139.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.52 €16.67

$8.83 COP 32.1K

121.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.73

$2.24 COP 8,159

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.08 COP 3,911

63.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €1.97

$1.53 COP 5,563

50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €3.88

$1.37 COP 4,987

232.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.13 COP 4,109

43.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.12 COP 4,067

59.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 €1.62

$0.85 COP 3,080

123.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.91 COP 3,305

3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.71 €8.29

$2.33 COP 8,477

316.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.13

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-35.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.19 COP 4,342

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.37

$2.37 COP 8,617

-32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 €3.04

$0.79 COP 2,859

350.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 €49.36

$41.13 COP 149.6K

40.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.72

$1.44 COP 5,223

284.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.91 COP 6,952

17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.57 €15.01

$8.02 COP 29.2K

119.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.77

$0.94 COP 3,410

120.21%

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

$30.8K €26.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

72.02%

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

$37.8K €32.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

41.28%

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

$366 €313

$84.0 COP 305.4K

336.39%

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

$19.85 €16.96

$9.60 COP 34.9K

106.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 €45.03

$24.16 COP 87.9K

118.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.60 €30.40

$25.88 COP 94.1K

37.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 €18.99

$19.04 COP 69.3K

16.75%

Cinema Ticket

$16.25 €13.88

$3.92 COP 14.2K

314.54%

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

$405 €345

$306 COP 1.1M

32.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K €19.8K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

292.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €94.4

$57.9 COP 210.6K

90.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.27 €37.81

$31.82 COP 115.7K

39.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 €70.8

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$107 COP 389.7K

24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 €704

$487 COP 1.8M

69.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €501

$368 COP 1.3M

59.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 €1,252

$826 COP 3.0M

77.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 €1,027

$716 COP 2.6M

67.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 €3,981

$2,925 COP 10.6M

59.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,601 €3,075

$1,407 COP 5.1M

155.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,589 €3,065

$546 COP 2.0M

558.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

13.43

-70.44%

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

Last update for Aachen: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $824 in Aachen versus $487 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 558% higher in Aachen, 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 $80.0 in Aachen versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 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

Aachen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,007 in Aachen, $1,034 in Medellin – roughly 94% apart. Aachen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,010 per month in Aachen and $1,550 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 $80.0 in Aachen 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 $2,007 in Aachen and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Aachen at $2,007. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aachen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,034 in Medellin to $2,007 in Aachen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Aachen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.