Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Athens is roughly 67% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 27% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.06

$5.99 COP 21.3K

191.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$32.86 COP 116.9K

93.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$7.09 COP 25.2K

49.79%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.74

$1.71 COP 6,093

153.80%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.10 COP 3,910

126.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.78 COP 2,771

-14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.08

$1.68 COP 5,976

251.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$3.07 COP 10.9K

89.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.09 COP 3,892

75.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.26 COP 4,492

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$1.38 COP 4,905

110.14%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.38

$2.19 COP 7,799

131.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.62

$4.40 COP 15.7K

233.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.74

$5.63 COP 20.0K

101.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.98

$8.89 COP 31.6K

69.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.34 COP 8,319

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.06 COP 3,764

104.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.50 COP 5,355

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.38 COP 4,906

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.15 COP 4,097

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.16 COP 4,141

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.89 COP 3,170

41.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$0.84 COP 2,986

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$2.28 COP 8,116

145.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.12

$10.64 COP 37.9K

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.20 COP 4,268

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.47 COP 8,793

17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.86 COP 3,045

63.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.69

$41.40 COP 147.3K

-16.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$1.47 COP 5,245

214.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.96 COP 6,984

-43.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.92

$7.74 COP 27.5K

123.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.95 COP 3,397

125.26%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

56.87%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

14.65%

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

$219 €188

$82.3 COP 292.7K

166.02%

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

$26.82 €23.09

$9.50 COP 33.8K

182.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.88

$24.23 COP 86.2K

43.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.13

$25.89 COP 92.1K

120.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.87

$19.00 COP 67.6K

39.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.89

$3.93 COP 14.0K

162.85%

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

$552 €475

$309 COP 1.1M

78.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,693

$5,965 COP 21.2M

88.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.8

$58.7 COP 208.7K

57.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €40.99

$32.35 COP 115.1K

47.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.2

$103 COP 365.1K

-2.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$108 COP 385.8K

11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €568

$476 COP 1.7M

38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$379 COP 1.3M

53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,017

$838 COP 3.0M

40.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €886

$724 COP 2.6M

42.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,542

$2,791 COP 9.9M

47.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,917

$1,211 COP 4.3M

179.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,155

$512 COP 1.8M

162.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

13.43

-62.84%

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

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 162% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $188 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

Athens vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 162% 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: $660 in Athens versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens 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 67% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.