Cost of Living Comparison Between Biella and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Biella and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,503 in Biella versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,324 in Biella versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Biella versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Biella costs roughly 11% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biella 10% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.38

$8.02 COP 25.3K

120.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €59.5

$47.87 COP 151.0K

42.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.75

$9.89 COP 31.2K

13.14%

Cappuccino

$1.89 €1.65

$3.13 COP 9,873

-39.62%

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

$3.11 €2.71

$1.91 COP 6,019

62.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.51 COP 4,763

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.48

$3.12 COP 9,853

64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.04

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-19.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.44 COP 4,558

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.49 COP 7,843

-8.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.66

$1.77 COP 5,595

72.88%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.40

$2.96 COP 9,336

31.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 €12.75

$10.07 COP 31.8K

45.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.28

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 €18.96

$14.30 COP 45.1K

52.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.76

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.61 COP 5,073

39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.25 COP 7,083

-12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 €4.25

$2.25 COP 7,104

116.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$2.04 COP 6,444

-5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.54 COP 4,842

20.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.17 COP 3,691

32.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 €0.32

$1.31 COP 4,121

-71.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.13

$3.90 COP 12.3K

80.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.21

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-49.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.74 COP 5,498

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.87 COP 9,053

-7.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.22 COP 3,834

64.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.32 €33.39

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-52.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 €13.05

$1.31 COP 4,129

1043.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.19 COP 6,899

-22.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.80 €25.96

$8.71 COP 27.5K

242.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.37 COP 4,306

47.45%

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

$37.8K €32.9K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

35.69%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

0.06%

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

$200 €174

$177 COP 559.3K

12.74%

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

$8.29 €7.22

$13.88 COP 43.8K

-40.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.30 €24.66

$29.72 COP 93.8K

-4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 €60.9

$44.88 COP 141.6K

55.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 €21.97

$17.12 COP 54.0K

47.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €7.86

$6.65 COP 21.0K

35.64%

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

$721 €628

$813 COP 2.6M

-11.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,122

$9,187 COP 29.0M

13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €76.5

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-1.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 €37.17

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-27.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €75.5

$138 COP 435.9K

-37.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$102 COP 322.1K

10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 €371

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-59.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 €325

$663 COP 2.1M

-43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 €616

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €504

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-43.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,487

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-59.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$898 €783

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-46.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,926 €1,678

$678 COP 2.1M

184.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

10.94

-68.92%

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

Last update for Biella: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Biella and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 184% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Biella vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $305 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

Biella vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biella and Medellin differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,503 vs $1,681 including rent). Biella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 184% higher in Biella, 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: $426 in Biella versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Biella versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,503 in Biella versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Biella but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Biella the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Biella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.