Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Antwerp versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Antwerp versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,547 in Antwerp versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 118% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antwerp is 68% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.57 €20.18

$5.92 COP 21.4K

298.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 €105

$32.75 COP 118.2K

273.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.09

$7.20 COP 26.0K

79.86%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.65

$1.70 COP 6,140

150.59%

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

$3.45 €2.96

$1.10 COP 3,966

213.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.61

$0.72 COP 2,605

323.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 €4.66

$1.67 COP 6,022

225.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.95

$3.10 COP 11.2K

49.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.06 COP 3,809

28.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.40

$1.25 COP 4,497

124.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.25

$1.39 COP 5,022

88.49%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.43

$2.26 COP 8,168

77.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 €15.42

$4.33 COP 15.6K

316.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 €9.94

$5.84 COP 21.1K

98.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.74 €18.61

$8.83 COP 31.9K

146.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.24 COP 8,099

29.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.08 COP 3,882

120.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.53 COP 5,522

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.85

$1.37 COP 4,950

143.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.56

$1.13 COP 4,078

164.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$1.12 COP 4,036

118.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.22

$0.85 COP 3,057

68.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.91 COP 3,281

-3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.93 €11.06

$2.33 COP 8,414

454.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 €8.18

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.19 COP 4,309

42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.68

$2.37 COP 8,553

-17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.51

$0.79 COP 2,838

270.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.52 €38.11

$41.13 COP 148.5K

8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.85

$1.44 COP 5,184

293.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.07

$1.91 COP 6,901

26.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.64 €39.92

$8.02 COP 28.9K

481.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$0.94 COP 3,385

105.32%

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

$36.1K €30.9K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

101.57%

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

$32.9K €28.1K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

22.74%

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

$207 €178

$84.0 COP 303.1K

147.05%

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

$25.34 €21.69

$9.60 COP 34.7K

163.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.49

$24.16 COP 87.2K

115.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.77 €38.32

$25.88 COP 93.4K

72.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.20 €21.57

$19.04 COP 68.7K

32.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 €12.74

$3.92 COP 14.1K

279.59%

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

$653 €559

$306 COP 1.1M

113.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

124.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.2

$57.9 COP 209.1K

87.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.48 €41.50

$31.82 COP 114.9K

52.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €101

$99.9 COP 360.6K

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €199

$107 COP 386.8K

117.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €895

$487 COP 1.8M

114.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 €734

$368 COP 1.3M

132.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 €1,359

$826 COP 3.0M

92.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,106

$716 COP 2.6M

80.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,632 €3,965

$2,925 COP 10.6M

58.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,214 €2,751

$1,407 COP 5.1M

128.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,141 €2,689

$546 COP 2.0M

475.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

13.43

-75.65%

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

Last update for Antwerp: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,046 in Antwerp and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 476% 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: $122 in Antwerp vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $190 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

Antwerp vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Medellin differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Antwerp pays 476% more on average, 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: $1,046 in Antwerp versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 8% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $653 in Antwerp versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,253 in Antwerp, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antwerp 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 118% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.