Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,523 in Busan versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Busan versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,148 in Busan versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Busan is roughly 48% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 14% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 ₩10.6K

$6.16 COP 20.0K

15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 ₩55.4K

$32.60 COP 106.0K

14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ₩8,828

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-19.21%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩6,067

$1.72 COP 5,592

137.21%

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

$1.86 ₩2,770

$1.05 COP 3,416

77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,991

$0.77 COP 2,511

74.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 ₩5,534

$1.69 COP 5,480

120.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩8,837

$3.17 COP 10.3K

87.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,344

$1.05 COP 3,418

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 ₩5,106

$1.30 COP 4,230

163.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 ₩4,473

$1.40 COP 4,538

115.00%

Eggs

$2.86 ₩4,253

$2.16 COP 7,037

32.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 ₩15.5K

$4.39 COP 14.3K

137.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 ₩12.4K

$5.88 COP 19.1K

41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.01 ₩40.2K

$8.64 COP 28.1K

212.62%

Apples (1kg)

$8.58 ₩12.8K

$2.28 COP 7,415

276.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,642

$1.11 COP 3,599

181.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.30 ₩10.9K

$1.53 COP 4,976

377.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 ₩7,614

$1.35 COP 4,405

279.26%

Potato (1kg)

$5.10 ₩7,589

$1.13 COP 3,669

351.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,524

$1.13 COP 3,687

169.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 ₩2,996

$0.85 COP 2,749

136.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₩1,803

$0.91 COP 2,971

32.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₩5,038

$2.34 COP 7,619

44.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 ₩25.1K

$12.37 COP 40.2K

36.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₩2,507

$1.20 COP 3,904

40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,979

$2.49 COP 8,094

34.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 ₩1,743

$0.84 COP 2,724

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.13 ₩65.6K

$40.57 COP 131.9K

8.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ₩5,153

$1.42 COP 4,617

143.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₩1,261

$1.92 COP 6,227

-55.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.39 ₩24.4K

$7.66 COP 24.9K

113.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₩1,729

$0.99 COP 3,219

17.17%

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

$27.3K ₩40.6M

$18.0K COP 58.6M

51.50%

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

$25.5K ₩37.9M

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-4.33%

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

$190 ₩282.8K

$80.8 COP 262.7K

135.26%

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

$49.69 ₩73.9K

$9.95 COP 32.3K

399.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 ₩40.7K

$24.18 COP 78.6K

13.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ₩78.5K

$25.08 COP 81.5K

110.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 ₩19.6K

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-31.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 ₩17.0K

$3.98 COP 13.0K

187.19%

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

$484 ₩720.4K

$305 COP 992.2K

58.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ₩20.8M

$6,059 COP 19.7M

131.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩155.7K

$58.1 COP 189.0K

80.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 ₩100.2K

$32.20 COP 104.7K

109.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 ₩130.4K

$101 COP 327.5K

-12.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩172.5K

$108 COP 350.3K

7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 ₩758.0K

$477 COP 1.5M

6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₩480.2K

$376 COP 1.2M

-14.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 ₩1.5M

$845 COP 2.7M

19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₩973.7K

$730 COP 2.4M

-10.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,773 ₩14.5M

$3,215 COP 10.5M

203.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,105 ₩10.6M

$1,372 COP 4.5M

417.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,545 ₩3.8M

$617 COP 2.0M

312.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

13.43

-68.58%

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

Last update for Busan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Busan and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 313% 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: $37.00 in Busan vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 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

Busan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Busan. 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 313% higher in Busan, 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: $510 in Busan versus $477 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 9% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $484 in Busan versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,523 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Busan. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan 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 48% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.