Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarschot and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarschot and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,023 in Aarschot versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,948 in Aarschot versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,873 in Aarschot versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Aarschot is roughly 18% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aarschot 47% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.85 €16.22

$8.03 COP 25.1K

134.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 €70.5

$48.26 COP 150.8K

69.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.94

$9.77 COP 30.5K

18.22%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.22

$2.91 COP 9,095

28.52%

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

$3.28 €2.82

$1.94 COP 6,074

69.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.52 COP 4,754

77.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.72

$3.09 COP 9,663

77.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.11

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.36 COP 4,262

-8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.39 COP 7,460

23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.70 COP 5,314

37.65%

Eggs

$3.82 €3.29

$2.87 COP 8,967

33.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 €10.27

$9.94 COP 31.1K

20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.09 €10.41

$10.78 COP 33.7K

12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.63

$14.73 COP 46.0K

7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-31.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.57 COP 4,911

45.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.13 COP 6,642

7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.21 COP 6,917

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.05 COP 6,396

16.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.50 COP 4,700

21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.19 COP 3,718

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.80

$1.16 COP 3,619

-18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €8.92

$3.90 COP 12.2K

165.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.11 €6.12

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-50.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.58 COP 4,948

36.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.83 COP 8,836

-33.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.17 COP 3,650

177.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 €49.67

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-25.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.38

$1.28 COP 4,014

297.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.09 COP 6,537

22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.46 €15.02

$8.62 COP 26.9K

102.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.30 COP 4,056

46.92%

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

$36.1K €31.1K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

30.60%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-1.14%

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

$216 €186

$176 COP 550.1K

22.56%

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

$18.67 €16.06

$13.37 COP 41.8K

39.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €48.23

$29.89 COP 93.4K

87.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 €32.02

$44.76 COP 139.8K

-16.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.61 €19.45

$17.06 COP 53.3K

32.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 €13.00

$6.20 COP 19.4K

143.55%

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

$726 €625

$793 COP 2.5M

-8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

90.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 €73.2

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-0.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.01 €23.24

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-53.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 €79.7

$136 COP 425.9K

-32.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €132

$103 COP 322.2K

48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 €851

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 €729

$680 COP 2.1M

24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 €1,255

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 €1,042

$1,169 COP 3.7M

3.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,715

$4,111 COP 12.8M

5.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,719 €2,340

$1,701 COP 5.3M

59.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,235 €2,784

$665 COP 2.1M

386.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

10.94

-67.82%

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

Last update for Aarschot: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Aarschot and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 386% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Aarschot vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $303 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Aarschot vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 386% higher in Aarschot, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $989 in Aarschot versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Aarschot. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $82.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,023 in Aarschot, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Aarschot. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aarschot, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aarschot and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.