Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgu and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgu and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Birgu versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,933 in Birgu versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,059 in Birgu versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Birgu is roughly 7% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Birgu 32% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 €17.74

$8.02 COP 24.9K

155.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 €77.7

$47.87 COP 148.7K

87.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 €10.47

$9.89 COP 30.7K

22.14%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.38

$3.13 COP 9,724

-12.14%

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

$2.26 €1.96

$1.91 COP 5,928

18.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.51 COP 4,692

11.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.01

$3.12 COP 9,705

48.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 €4.65

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.44 COP 4,489

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.49 COP 7,725

-44.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 €3.78

$1.77 COP 5,510

146.89%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.55

$2.96 COP 9,195

38.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 €7.36

$10.07 COP 31.3K

-15.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 €7.55

$10.12 COP 31.4K

-13.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 €14.02

$14.30 COP 44.4K

13.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.55

$4.14 COP 12.8K

-28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.61 COP 4,997

-23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 €2.56

$2.25 COP 6,976

31.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.25 COP 6,997

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.06

$2.04 COP 6,347

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.54 COP 4,769

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.17 COP 3,635

100.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.31 COP 4,059

-27.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.01

$3.90 COP 12.1K

77.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.20

$14.01 COP 43.5K

-40.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.74 COP 5,415

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.12

$2.87 COP 8,917

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.19

$1.22 COP 3,776

107.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.22 €12.32

$80.5 COP 250.0K

-82.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.92

$1.31 COP 4,066

332.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 €1.03

$2.19 COP 6,796

-46.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 €23.92

$8.71 COP 27.1K

216.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.37 COP 4,241

11.68%

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

$27.2K €23.6K

$27.8K COP 86.5M

-2.18%

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

$33.5K €29.0K

$35.8K COP 111.1M

-6.39%

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

$107 €92.8

$177 COP 550.8K

-39.62%

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

$26.29 €22.78

$13.88 COP 43.1K

89.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 €28.98

$29.72 COP 92.4K

12.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 €40.35

$44.88 COP 139.4K

3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$70.0 €60.7

$17.12 COP 53.2K

308.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 €9.17

$6.65 COP 20.6K

59.10%

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

$377 €327

$813 COP 2.5M

-53.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,056 €1,782

$9,187 COP 28.5M

-77.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.30 €22.79

$89.5 COP 278.0K

-70.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 €29.77

$59.0 COP 183.2K

-41.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.7

$138 COP 429.4K

-25.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$102 COP 317.3K

13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 €889

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 €720

$663 COP 2.1M

25.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 €1,562

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,354

$1,027 COP 3.2M

52.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,956 €3,428

$4,183 COP 13.0M

-5.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,841 €2,462

$1,675 COP 5.2M

69.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,994 €1,728

$678 COP 2.1M

194.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

10.94

-73.49%

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

Last update for Birgu: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Birgu and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 194% 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: $90.0 in Birgu vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $305, with Birgu cheaper for home cooking.

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

Birgu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Birgu. 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 194% higher in Birgu, 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: $1,026 in Birgu versus $1,062 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 466% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $377 in Birgu versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,806 in Birgu, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Birgu. 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 $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Birgu 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 7% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.