Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Best and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,198 in Best, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Best, Netherlands
Medellin, Colombia
Best
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,198
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,198 per month in Best vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Best $2,198
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,057 per month in Best vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Best $3,057
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in Best vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Best $3,915
  • Medellin $3,186

Best costs about 34% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Best and Medellin sit above the global median – Best by 62%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Best
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.20 €19.92
$8.09 COP 25.6K
174.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.9 €77.1
$47.05 COP 148.7K
82.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.39 €11.12
$9.50 COP 30.0K
30.42%
Cappuccino
$3.50 €3.14
$3.01 COP 9,532
16.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 €2.89
$1.80 COP 5,688
78.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 €2.31
$1.41 COP 4,465
82.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.68 €5.10
$3.18 COP 10.0K
78.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.82 €4.33
$5.75 COP 18.2K
-16.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Best
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.51 COP 4,774
-25.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 €1.72
$2.38 COP 7,517
-19.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.77 COP 5,601
20.90%
Eggs
$3.18 €2.85
$2.89 COP 9,138
10.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.09 €9.95
$10.19 COP 32.2K
8.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.14 €10.00
$9.87 COP 31.2K
12.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.90 €13.37
$13.99 COP 44.2K
6.50%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 €1.76
$3.97 COP 12.6K
-50.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 €1.42
$1.55 COP 4,907
1.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$2.18 COP 6,901
-21.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.12 €4.60
$2.18 COP 6,904
134.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.96 COP 6,205
-41.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.59 COP 5,025
-26.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 €0.94
$1.15 COP 3,622
-8.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 €0.70
$1.24 COP 3,930
-37.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.25 €10.10
$3.96 COP 12.5K
184.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.74 €5.15
$13.68 COP 43.3K
-58.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.66 COP 5,247
-13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.36
$2.26 COP 7,139
16.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Best
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.49 €2.23
$1.17 COP 3,692
112.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.7 €65.2
$77.4 COP 244.6K
-6.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 €3.47
$1.27 COP 4,009
203.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.84 €2.55
$2.05 COP 6,474
38.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.53 €26.49
$8.55 COP 27.0K
245.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.41 €2.16
$1.35 COP 4,258
78.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K €23.8K
$34.1K COP 107.7M
-22.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$34.7K COP 109.6M
11.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Best
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$184 €165
$170 COP 536.4K
8.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.85 €13.33
$13.55 COP 42.8K
9.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.38 €34.44
$28.07 COP 88.7K
36.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Best
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.88 €36.68
$43.70 COP 138.2K
-6.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.29 €22.70
$17.19 COP 54.3K
47.12%
Cinema Ticket
$13.55 €12.16
$6.91 COP 21.9K
96.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Best
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,260 €1,131
$797 COP 2.5M
58.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,129 €4,602
$9,112 COP 28.8M
-43.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Best
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.1 €45.87
$84.7 COP 267.8K
-39.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.16 €29.75
$58.0 COP 183.2K
-42.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.5 €65.0
$135 COP 426.7K
-46.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.8 €51.8
$97.9 COP 309.4K
-40.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Best
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,534 €1,376
$1,208 COP 3.8M
27.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,098 €985
$642 COP 2.0M
71.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,785
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-1.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,347 €1,209
$1,012 COP 3.2M
33.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,622 €5,045
$4,170 COP 13.2M
34.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,407 €3,954
$1,910 COP 6.0M
130.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Best
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,005 €3,593
$657 COP 2.1M
509.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.54
10.94
-67.64%

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

Last update for Best: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Best
$1.1K
Medellin
$642 41.6% $457
Eating Out
Best
$318
Medellin
$170 46.7% $148
Groceries & Markets
Best
$280
Medellin
$297 6% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Best
$237
Medellin
$211 10.8% $26
Getting Around
Best
$101
Medellin
$94 7.1% $7.1
Clothing & Footwear
Best
$97
Medellin
$169 75.1% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Best
$68
Medellin
$58 15.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Best versus $1,208 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 in Best are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Best versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $280 in Best vs $297 in Medellin – so Best wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Best
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
22:21 10:21 PM
16:21 4:21 PM
6 h behind Best
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
29,988
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Best Medellin 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Best
  • 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
Best vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Best?
Yes – Best is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,298 per month in Best and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,534 in Best.
What are total monthly expenses in Best and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,198 in Best and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 25% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 6% less in Best. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough for either Best or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,198 in Best and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $2,198 in Best. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Best makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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