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: $1,519 in Biella versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,357 in Biella versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,195 in Biella versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Biella is roughly 51% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biella is 14% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.41 €13.34

$5.91 COP 18.6K

160.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 €62.3

$32.96 COP 103.8K

118.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 €9.54

$7.43 COP 23.4K

48.18%

Cappuccino

$1.61 €1.39

$1.65 COP 5,207

-2.42%

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

$3.48 €3.02

$1.10 COP 3,468

216.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.12

$0.78 COP 2,458

65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 €4.43

$1.72 COP 5,412

197.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.04

$3.18 COP 10.0K

46.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.10 COP 3,474

34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.26 COP 3,962

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.38 COP 4,349

69.57%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.55

$2.18 COP 6,858

88.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 €12.68

$4.49 COP 14.1K

226.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 €8.68

$5.79 COP 18.2K

73.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.93 €19.86

$8.97 COP 28.2K

155.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.09

$2.32 COP 7,308

3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.06 COP 3,352

69.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.52 COP 4,774

16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €2.99

$1.36 COP 4,270

153.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.13 COP 3,552

39.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.17 COP 3,689

50.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.90 COP 2,838

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.37

$0.90 COP 2,823

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.94

$2.23 COP 7,034

207.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 €6.05

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.19 COP 3,743

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.32

$2.48 COP 7,815

8.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.85 COP 2,687

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.03 €32.94

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-8.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 €9.95

$1.42 COP 4,459

709.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.95 COP 6,141

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €49.29

$7.89 COP 24.8K

621.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.99 COP 3,118

109.09%

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

$28.2K €24.5K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

60.42%

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

$32.6K €28.3K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

21.83%

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

$250 €216

$83.0 COP 261.4K

200.73%

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

$6.84 €5.92

$9.70 COP 30.5K

-29.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.60 €25.64

$23.52 COP 74.1K

25.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €59.6

$25.26 COP 79.5K

172.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 €21.67

$19.10 COP 60.1K

31.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.83

$3.95 COP 12.4K

128.86%

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

$558 €483

$316 COP 994.2K

76.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,961 €6,894

$5,975 COP 18.8M

33.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €78.6

$60.0 COP 188.9K

51.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.13 €32.16

$31.82 COP 100.2K

16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 €70.0

$102 COP 320.1K

-20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$107 COP 338.3K

8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 €397

$475 COP 1.5M

-3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 €354

$374 COP 1.2M

9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 €684

$849 COP 2.7M

-7.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €562

$719 COP 2.3M

-9.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,640 €1,420

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-49.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$868 €752

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-39.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,906 €1,651

$624 COP 2.0M

205.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

13.43

-66.72%

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

Last update for Biella: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Biella and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 205% 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: $72.0 in Biella vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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

Biella vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biella and Medellin differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,519 vs $1,003 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% 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: $459 in Biella versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Biella 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 65% higher in Biella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,519 in Biella, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Biella. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Biella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.