Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonn and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,313 in Bonn, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bonn, Germany
Medellin, Colombia
Bonn
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,313
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Bonn versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Bonn $2,313
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,463 in Bonn versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Bonn $3,463
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Bonn versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Bonn $4,614
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in Bonn is roughly 41% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bonn 70% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.55 €16.67
$8.09 COP 25.4K
129.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.5 €69.6
$47.05 COP 148.0K
64.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 €10.92
$9.50 COP 29.9K
27.89%
Cappuccino
$4.21 €3.78
$3.01 COP 9,485
39.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 €2.79
$1.80 COP 5,660
72.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 €2.22
$1.41 COP 4,443
75.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.09
$3.18 COP 9,990
78.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 €3.83
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-25.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 €1.30
$1.51 COP 4,751
-3.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.81 €2.52
$2.38 COP 7,480
18.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 €3.61
$1.77 COP 5,573
126.55%
Eggs
$4.17 €3.74
$2.89 COP 9,093
44.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.76 €12.36
$10.19 COP 32.1K
35.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.65 €9.56
$9.87 COP 31.1K
7.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.08 €24.33
$13.99 COP 44.0K
93.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.45 €3.10
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-13.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 €2.38
$1.55 COP 4,883
70.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$2.18 COP 6,867
3.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.24 €4.71
$2.18 COP 6,870
140.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.24 €2.01
$1.96 COP 6,174
14.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.59 COP 5,000
7.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.15 COP 3,604
43.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.18
$1.24 COP 3,911
5.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.51 €8.54
$3.96 COP 12.5K
140.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.97 €5.36
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-56.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 €1.14
$1.66 COP 5,221
-24.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.61
$2.26 COP 7,103
-20.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.59 €4.12
$1.17 COP 3,674
292.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.1 €63.9
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-8.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 €2.65
$1.27 COP 3,989
132.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.05 COP 6,442
-3.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.22 €28.05
$8.55 COP 26.9K
265.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 €2.05
$1.35 COP 4,237
69.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K €29.9K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-2.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €34.1K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
9.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$332 €298
$170 COP 533.7K
95.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.57 €22.07
$13.55 COP 42.6K
81.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.59 €35.56
$28.07 COP 88.3K
41.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.47 €38.16
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-2.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.47 €29.17
$17.19 COP 54.1K
88.89%
Cinema Ticket
$15.74 €14.14
$6.91 COP 21.7K
127.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$690 €620
$797 COP 2.5M
-13.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.9K €12.5K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
52.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.3 €67.6
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-11.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.43 €33.62
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-35.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.7
$135 COP 424.6K
-23.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 €102
$97.9 COP 307.9K
15.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,072 €963
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-11.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$925 €830
$642 COP 2.0M
44.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,113 €1,898
$2,028 COP 6.4M
4.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,601 €1,438
$1,012 COP 3.2M
58.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,131 €5,507
$4,170 COP 13.1M
47.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,368 €3,924
$1,910 COP 6.0M
128.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bonn
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,480 €3,126
$657 COP 2.1M
429.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
10.94
-63.80%

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

Last update for Bonn: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bonn
$925
Medellin
$642 30.6% $283
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonn
$396
Medellin
$211 46.6% $185
Groceries & Markets
Bonn
$374
Medellin
$297 20.6% $77
Eating Out
Bonn
$295
Medellin
$170 42.4% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Bonn
$148
Medellin
$169 14.2% $21
Getting Around
Bonn
$102
Medellin
$94 8.6% $8.8
Sport & Entertainment
Bonn
$74
Medellin
$58 22.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Bonn and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bonn pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Bonn vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Bonn
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
23:15 11:15 PM
17:15 5:15 PM
6 h behind Bonn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
335,913
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bonn Medellin 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bonn
  • 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
Bonn vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bonn or Medellin?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Bonn. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bonn or in Medellin?
Average pay in Bonn is about 5.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bonn compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,072 in Bonn versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Bonn and in Medellin?
Childcare runs $690 in Bonn versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Bonn or in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Bonn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bonn or Medellin?
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.
Should I move to Bonn or to Medellin?
It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Bonn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Bonn vs other spots: cost of living compared

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