Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,976 in Arad, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,976

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,976 per month in Arad vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Arad $2,976
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Arad vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Arad $4,235
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $5,493 per month in Arad vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Arad $5,493
Medellin $3,190

Arad costs about 84% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arad and Medellin sit above the global median – Arad by 120%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.95 ₪80.7

$7.93 COP 25.2K

227.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 ₪286

$46.13 COP 146.3K

99.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.04 ₪62.4

$9.50 COP 30.1K

110.95%

Cappuccino

$4.81 ₪14.97

$3.11 COP 9,866

54.66%

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

$3.98 ₪12.40

$1.83 COP 5,800

117.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.31

$1.38 COP 4,360

93.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 ₪30.86

$3.05 COP 9,672

225.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 ₪31.97

$5.50 COP 17.4K

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪7.99

$1.45 COP 4,600

77.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.61 ₪17.46

$2.36 COP 7,496

137.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.51

$1.68 COP 5,328

101.19%

Eggs

$4.48 ₪13.95

$2.86 COP 9,077

56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₪40.82

$10.19 COP 32.3K

28.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.23 ₪59.8

$9.53 COP 30.2K

101.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.55 ₪82.6

$14.04 COP 44.5K

89.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 ₪19.84

$4.07 COP 12.9K

56.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 ₪9.95

$1.50 COP 4,742

113.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 ₪9.50

$2.17 COP 6,891

40.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 ₪9.87

$2.31 COP 7,310

37.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 ₪6.54

$1.93 COP 6,113

8.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.28

$1.64 COP 5,196

3.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 ₪7.51

$1.13 COP 3,571

114.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₪7.95

$1.25 COP 3,954

104.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 ₪31.00

$3.99 COP 12.6K

149.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 ₪41.12

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 ₪14.58

$1.70 COP 5,384

175.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₪13.14

$2.37 COP 7,525

78.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 ₪9.29

$1.21 COP 3,827

147.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 ₪272

$76.5 COP 242.5K

14.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 ₪25.65

$1.32 COP 4,179

524.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.59

$2.14 COP 6,774

-46.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 ₪89.8

$8.47 COP 26.8K

240.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 ₪8.17

$1.30 COP 4,114

102.31%

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

$58.2K ₪181.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

108.03%

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

$58.7K ₪182.8K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

65.87%

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

$336 ₪1,046

$172 COP 545.6K

95.43%

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

$12.37 ₪38.47

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-7.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.51 ₪154

$28.73 COP 91.1K

72.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 ₪264

$45.24 COP 143.5K

87.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$16.53 ₪51.4

$6.28 COP 19.9K

163.22%

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

$1,643 ₪5,112

$770 COP 2.4M

113.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ₪93.5K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

233.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₪319

$86.4 COP 274.0K

18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₪200

$57.1 COP 181.1K

12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 ₪548

$137 COP 432.9K

29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 ₪487

$97.9 COP 310.4K

59.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 ₪5,222

$1,055 COP 3.3M

59.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₪3,683

$616 COP 2.0M

92.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 ₪7,846

$1,892 COP 6.0M

33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 ₪5,053

$1,023 COP 3.2M

58.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₪33.6K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

165.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,515 ₪26.5K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

407.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 ₪7,992

$652 COP 2.1M

293.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.2

10.94

-52.47%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$1.2K 39.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 48% $568

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$516 17.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 42.9% $221

Eating Out

Arad

$422 14.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 60.1% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$398 13.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 46.2% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$225 7.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 24.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$118 4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 50.9% $60

Getting Around

Arad

$113 3.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 17.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,678 in Arad versus $1,055 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 294% higher in Arad, 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 $92.0 in Arad versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Arad

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

04:29 4:29 AM

8 h behind Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,530

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arad Medellin 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Arad
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

Arad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arad costs about 84% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,464 per month in Arad and $2,421 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,976 in Arad and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 84%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Arad at $2,976. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $2,976 in Arad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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