Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,545 in Besancon versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,340 in Besancon versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,134 in Besancon versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Besancon is roughly 50% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Besancon is 16% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.21

$6.00 COP 20.6K

175.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 €43.90

$32.84 COP 112.5K

55.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 €8.52

$7.42 COP 25.4K

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.51 €3.02

$1.65 COP 5,659

112.73%

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

$2.28 €1.96

$1.07 COP 3,663

113.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.76 COP 2,607

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.84

$1.72 COP 5,908

294.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.01

$3.20 COP 11.0K

45.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.05 COP 3,597

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.31 COP 4,479

29.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.34 COP 4,591

44.03%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.27

$2.19 COP 7,521

73.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.40 €14.98

$4.41 COP 15.1K

294.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 €10.30

$5.69 COP 19.5K

110.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €13.98

$8.52 COP 29.2K

90.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.42

$2.34 COP 8,023

20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.11 COP 3,804

87.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.52 COP 5,210

48.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.37 COP 4,680

76.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.15 COP 3,950

96.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.18 COP 4,043

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.84 COP 2,885

77.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.86 COP 2,931

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.26

$2.26 COP 7,753

530.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 €8.65

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.20 COP 4,109

111.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.48 COP 8,484

-30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.79 COP 2,721

130.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.91 €42.98

$40.83 COP 139.9K

22.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.47 COP 5,023

119.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.92 COP 6,568

-7.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.57 €29.77

$7.77 COP 26.6K

344.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.01 COP 3,464

103.96%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

112.49%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

47.39%

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

$118 €102

$81.1 COP 277.9K

45.46%

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

$17.04 €14.67

$9.43 COP 32.3K

80.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.72 €31.62

$23.86 COP 81.8K

53.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 €32.68

$25.99 COP 89.1K

46.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.83 €24.83

$18.71 COP 64.1K

54.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 €8.87

$4.09 COP 14.0K

151.83%

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

$344 €296

$315 COP 1.1M

9.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,172 €7,037

$6,022 COP 20.6M

35.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 €53.5

$59.7 COP 204.6K

4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.01 €19.81

$31.97 COP 109.6K

-28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 €76.3

$101 COP 346.9K

-12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$105 COP 360.3K

33.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 €475

$485 COP 1.7M

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 €429

$365 COP 1.3M

36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €872

$827 COP 2.8M

22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €737

$730 COP 2.5M

17.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,035 €2,613

$2,992 COP 10.3M

1.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,495 €2,148

$1,314 COP 4.5M

89.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,204 €1,898

$551 COP 1.9M

300.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

13.43

-75.06%

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

Last update for Besancon: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Besancon and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 300% 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: $51.0 in Besancon vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 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

Besancon vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Besancon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Besancon pays 300% 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: $552 in Besancon versus $485 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 22% less than in Besancon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $344 in Besancon versus $315 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,545 in Besancon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Besancon. 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 $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Besancon 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 50% less than in Besancon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.