Cost of Living Comparison Between Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,433 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Beliลกฤ‡e is roughly 21% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Beliลกฤ‡e 8% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.31 โ‚ฌ7.16
$5.95 COPย 20.8K
39.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.17 โ‚ฌ34.61
$33.33 COPย 116.3K
20.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 โ‚ฌ5.90
$7.23 COPย 25.2K
-5.39%
Cappuccino
$2.05 โ‚ฌ1.77
$1.63 COPย 5,687
25.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 โ‚ฌ2.03
$1.09 COPย 3,821
116.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 โ‚ฌ1.73
$0.73 COPย 2,548
175.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 โ‚ฌ2.05
$1.74 COPย 6,065
36.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 โ‚ฌ2.03
$3.23 COPย 11.3K
-27.24%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 โ‚ฌ0.79
$1.05 COPย 3,662
-12.38%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 โ‚ฌ0.57
$1.29 COPย 4,515
-48.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 โ‚ฌ2.53
$1.32 COPย 4,617
122.73%
Eggs
$3.17 โ‚ฌ2.73
$2.27 COPย 7,927
39.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.79 โ‚ฌ9.30
$4.35 COPย 15.2K
148.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.43 โ‚ฌ6.40
$5.88 COPย 20.5K
26.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.26 โ‚ฌ9.70
$8.61 COPย 30.0K
30.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.15 โ‚ฌ0.99
$2.25 COPย 7,844
-48.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 โ‚ฌ1.23
$1.07 COPย 3,733
33.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 โ‚ฌ1.41
$1.52 COPย 5,322
7.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.46 โ‚ฌ2.12
$1.42 COPย 4,964
73.24%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 โ‚ฌ0.84
$1.17 COPย 4,084
-17.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 โ‚ฌ1.02
$1.17 COPย 4,077
0.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 โ‚ฌ1.04
$0.89 COPย 3,096
34.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 โ‚ฌ0.84
$0.90 COPย 3,146
7.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.50 โ‚ฌ4.74
$2.25 COPย 7,837
144.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.08 โ‚ฌ6.10
$11.04 COPย 38.5K
-35.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 โ‚ฌ1.02
$1.14 COPย 3,977
3.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 โ‚ฌ1.66
$2.38 COPย 8,301
-19.33%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 โ‚ฌ1.48
$0.84 COPย 2,916
104.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.47 โ‚ฌ36.59
$41.95 COPย 146.4K
1.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.71 โ‚ฌ3.19
$1.41 COPย 4,912
163.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 โ‚ฌ0.99
$1.90 COPย 6,634
-39.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.76 โ‚ฌ4.96
$7.75 COPย 27.0K
-25.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 โ‚ฌ1.44
$1.01 COPย 3,509
66.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2K โ‚ฌ27.7K
$17.6K COPย 61.4M
83.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K โ‚ฌ23.7K
$26.5K COPย 92.5M
3.65%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$123 โ‚ฌ106
$83.7 COPย 292.1K
47.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.63 โ‚ฌ15.19
$9.45 COPย 33.0K
86.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.57 โ‚ฌ22.90
$24.11 COPย 84.1K
10.20%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.03 โ‚ฌ22.43
$25.31 COPย 88.3K
2.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.48 โ‚ฌ12.48
$19.14 COPย 66.8K
-24.35%
Cinema Ticket
$5.22 โ‚ฌ4.50
$4.10 COPย 14.3K
27.32%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$349 โ‚ฌ301
$312 COPย 1.1M
11.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,796 โ‚ฌ2,409
$5,993 COPย 20.9M
-53.34%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 โ‚ฌ105
$58.0 COPย 202.6K
110.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.61 โ‚ฌ36.71
$32.56 COPย 113.6K
30.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.03 โ‚ฌ39.66
$99.6 COPย 347.7K
-53.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.4 โ‚ฌ50.4
$109 COPย 378.8K
-46.17%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$190 โ‚ฌ164
$482 COPย 1.7M
-60.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$469 โ‚ฌ404
$379 COPย 1.3M
23.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$343 โ‚ฌ295
$837 COPย 2.9M
-59.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$775 โ‚ฌ668
$723 COPย 2.5M
7.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,251 โ‚ฌ3,663
$2,840 COPย 9.9M
49.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,189 โ‚ฌ1,024
$1,223 COPย 4.3M
-2.80%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Beliลกฤ‡e
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,818 โ‚ฌ1,566
$541 COPย 1.9M
236.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
13.43
-76.17%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beliลกฤ‡e: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $190 in Beliลกฤ‡e and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beliลกฤ‡e pays 236% 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: $40.00 in Beliลกฤ‡e vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 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
Beliลกฤ‡e vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin?
Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,235 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Beliลกฤ‡e or Medellin?
Beliลกฤ‡e pays 236% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $190 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin?
Childcare runs $349 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Beliลกฤ‡e. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,235 in Beliลกฤ‡e, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Beliลกฤ‡e. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Beliลกฤ‡e and Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Beliลกฤ‡e or Medellin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Beliลกฤ‡e 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.
Where should expats move: Beliลกฤ‡e or Medellin?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 21% less than in Beliลกฤ‡e. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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