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: $2,193 in Antwerp versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Antwerp versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,623 in Antwerp versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 34% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 59% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.56 €20.31

$8.04 COP 24.8K

193.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 €94.4

$48.29 COP 148.6K

126.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.11 €12.16

$9.42 COP 29.0K

49.79%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.83

$2.94 COP 9,040

51.02%

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

$3.66 €3.15

$1.86 COP 5,735

96.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.13

$1.46 COP 4,479

148.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.78

$3.21 COP 9,882

72.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 €5.38

$5.71 COP 17.6K

9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.44 COP 4,428

-1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.40 COP 7,389

15.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.70 COP 5,228

31.76%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.31

$2.89 COP 8,896

32.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.00 €15.52

$10.06 COP 30.9K

78.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.17 €10.49

$9.97 COP 30.7K

22.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.94 €20.64

$14.20 COP 43.7K

68.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 €2.68

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-21.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.58 COP 4,878

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.15 COP 6,624

30.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$2.30 COP 7,078

47.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$2.00 COP 6,169

28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.51 COP 4,646

33.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.20 COP 3,701

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.28 COP 3,946

-17.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 €11.59

$3.84 COP 11.8K

250.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 €8.15

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-32.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.71 COP 5,256

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.74 COP 8,440

-22.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.25 COP 3,834

187.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 €50.1

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-25.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.87

$1.31 COP 4,016

331.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.17 COP 6,680

26.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.36 €39.96

$8.29 COP 25.5K

459.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.36 COP 4,172

55.15%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

32.43%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-4.24%

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

$215 €185

$169 COP 519.2K

27.17%

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

$22.67 €19.54

$13.57 COP 41.8K

67.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 €43.21

$28.32 COP 87.2K

77.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.45 €33.14

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-15.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.42 €23.63

$17.22 COP 53.0K

59.23%

Cinema Ticket

$15.90 €13.70

$6.65 COP 20.5K

139.10%

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

$1,652 €1,424

$803 COP 2.5M

105.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K €30.3K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

282.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €101

$87.4 COP 268.8K

33.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 €46.22

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-9.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.5

$139 COP 427.5K

-23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 €150

$102 COP 314.0K

71.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €941

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 €751

$653 COP 2.0M

33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 €1,487

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 €1,225

$1,048 COP 3.2M

35.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,549 €3,922

$4,123 COP 12.7M

10.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,234 €2,787

$1,697 COP 5.2M

90.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,147 €2,713

$655 COP 2.0M

380.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.94

-68.37%

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

Last update for Antwerp: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,092 in Antwerp and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 380% 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: $109 in Antwerp vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $300 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,193 vs $1,641 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 380% higher in Antwerp, 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: $1,092 in Antwerp versus $1,071 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 34% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Antwerp versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,193 in Antwerp, a $2,500 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 34% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.