Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethune and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethune and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Bethune versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Bethune versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,684 in Bethune versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Bethune is roughly 79% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bethune is 35% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.40

$5.91 COP 18.9K

198.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.7

$32.96 COP 105.2K

111.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 €12.00

$7.43 COP 23.7K

85.20%

Cappuccino

$3.29 €2.87

$1.65 COP 5,276

99.39%

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

$2.94 €2.56

$1.10 COP 3,514

167.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$0.78 COP 2,491

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 €6.08

$1.72 COP 5,484

305.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.10

$3.18 COP 10.1K

83.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.10 COP 3,521

28.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.26 COP 4,015

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$1.38 COP 4,407

110.14%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.42

$2.18 COP 6,950

79.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 €19.66

$4.49 COP 14.3K

402.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 €11.28

$5.79 COP 18.5K

123.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.90 €20.84

$8.97 COP 28.6K

166.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.66

$2.32 COP 7,405

31.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.06 COP 3,397

114.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.13

$1.52 COP 4,838

61.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 €2.83

$1.36 COP 4,327

138.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.13 COP 3,599

76.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.17 COP 3,738

82.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.27

$0.90 COP 2,876

62.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.90 COP 2,861

-34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 €11.72

$2.23 COP 7,128

502.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.99

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-33.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.19 COP 3,793

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.48 COP 7,920

6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 €1.62

$0.85 COP 2,723

118.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 €44.75

$41.62 COP 132.8K

23.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.42 COP 4,518

66.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.95 COP 6,223

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 €34.47

$7.89 COP 25.2K

401.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.99 COP 3,160

107.07%

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

$37.8K €33.0K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

114.80%

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

$37.5K €32.7K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

39.93%

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

$186 €162

$83.0 COP 264.9K

123.71%

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

$23.58 €20.56

$9.70 COP 30.9K

143.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 €25.90

$23.52 COP 75.0K

26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 €32.33

$25.26 COP 80.6K

46.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 €15.94

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-4.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 €8.99

$3.95 COP 12.6K

161.01%

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

$572 €498

$316 COP 1.0M

81.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,566 €7,467

$5,975 COP 19.1M

43.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €77.9

$60.0 COP 191.4K

49.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 €32.44

$31.82 COP 101.5K

16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 €68.9

$102 COP 324.4K

-22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 €86.2

$107 COP 342.8K

-7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €675

$475 COP 1.5M

62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 €539

$374 COP 1.2M

65.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 €1,190

$849 COP 2.7M

60.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €941

$719 COP 2.3M

50.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,456 €3,885

$3,265 COP 10.4M

36.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,004 €2,619

$1,441 COP 4.6M

108.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,695 €3,221

$624 COP 2.0M

491.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

13.43

-72.52%

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

Last update for Bethune: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Bethune and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethune pays 492% 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: $70.0 in Bethune vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $193 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

Bethune vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Bethune. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 492% higher in Bethune, 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: $774 in Bethune versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $572 in Bethune versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Bethune. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,796 in Bethune, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bethune. 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 $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bethune 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 79% less than in Bethune. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.