Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,393 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ankara, Turkey
Medellin, Colombia
Ankara
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,393
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Ankara vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Ankara $1,393
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,079 per month in Ankara vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,079
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,765 per month in Ankara vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,765
  • Medellin $3,186

Ankara is about 15% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ankara and Medellin sit above the global median – Ankara by 2%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.90 ₺493
$8.09 COP 25.4K
22.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.89 ₺2,137
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-8.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.31 ₺464
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-2.00%
Cappuccino
$4.15 ₺207
$3.01 COP 9,485
37.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ₺82.6
$1.80 COP 5,660
-7.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ₺37.94
$1.41 COP 4,443
-46.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 ₺257
$3.18 COP 9,990
61.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.85 ₺292
$5.75 COP 18.1K
1.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 ₺59.9
$1.51 COP 4,751
-20.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 ₺49.46
$2.38 COP 7,480
-58.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.15 ₺107
$1.77 COP 5,573
21.47%
Eggs
$2.69 ₺134
$2.89 COP 9,093
-6.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 ₺510
$10.19 COP 32.1K
0.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.45 ₺272
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-44.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.32 ₺1,013
$13.99 COP 44.0K
45.25%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 ₺95.0
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-51.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$1.55 COP 4,883
47.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 ₺63.2
$2.18 COP 6,867
-41.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₺81.7
$2.18 COP 6,870
-24.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 ₺33.28
$1.96 COP 6,174
-65.82%
Onion (1kg)
$0.57 ₺28.55
$1.59 COP 5,000
-64.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ₺51.3
$1.15 COP 3,604
-10.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₺31.69
$1.24 COP 3,911
-48.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19 ₺109
$3.96 COP 12.5K
-44.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.46 ₺621
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-8.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 ₺112
$1.66 COP 5,221
34.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 ₺155
$2.26 COP 7,103
37.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.87
$1.17 COP 3,674
-29.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.86 ₺591
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-84.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺63.8
$1.27 COP 3,989
0.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 ₺40.61
$2.05 COP 6,442
-60.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.46 ₺322
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-24.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₺69.7
$1.35 COP 4,237
3.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.9K ₺2.4M
$34.1K COP 107.2M
40.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K ₺2.0M
$34.7K COP 109.1M
16.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.1 ₺4,639
$170 COP 533.7K
-45.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.72 ₺534
$13.55 COP 42.6K
-20.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.87 ₺891
$28.07 COP 88.3K
-36.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.2 ₺3,597
$43.70 COP 137.5K
65.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.34 ₺765
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-10.76%
Cinema Ticket
$8.04 ₺401
$6.91 COP 21.7K
16.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,032 ₺51.4K
$797 COP 2.5M
29.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.2K ₺955.7K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
110.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ₺2,659
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-37.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.30 ₺2,407
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-16.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 ₺5,196
$135 COP 424.6K
-22.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.0 ₺4,786
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-1.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$765 ₺38.1K
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-36.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 ₺28.4K
$642 COP 2.0M
-11.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,127 ₺56.2K
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-44.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$893 ₺44.5K
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-11.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,678 ₺83.6K
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-59.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,158 ₺57.7K
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-39.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ankara
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,053 ₺52.5K
$657 COP 2.1M
60.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43.57
10.94
298.26%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ankara
$569
Medellin
$642 12.7% $72
Groceries & Markets
Ankara
$254
Medellin
$297 17% $43
Eating Out
Ankara
$204
Medellin
$170 16.9% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
$136
Medellin
$169 24.4% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
$122
Medellin
$211 73.6% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
$88
Medellin
$58 34.8% $31
Getting Around
Ankara
$21
Medellin
$94 356% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Ankara versus $1,208 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 60% higher in Ankara, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Ankara versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $297 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Ankara
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
04:02 4:02 AM
20:02 8:02 PM
8 h behind Ankara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,864,049 Capital
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ankara Medellin 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ankara
  • 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
Ankara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ankara or Medellin?
Medellin costs about 18% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ankara and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Ankara and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ankara or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ankara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $765 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
How do childcare costs compare in Ankara and in Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $1,032 per month in Ankara and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ankara or in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ankara or in Medellin?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,393 in Ankara and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ankara or Medellin?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,393 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Ankara is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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