Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleroi and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleroi and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,891 in Charleroi versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,768 in Charleroi versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,645 in Charleroi versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Charleroi is roughly 86% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleroi is 42% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.96

$5.93 COP 19.0K

188.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.6

$33.12 COP 106.0K

91.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 €9.75

$7.12 COP 22.8K

56.18%

Cappuccino

$2.92 €2.56

$1.71 COP 5,457

70.76%

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

$2.97 €2.60

$1.05 COP 3,356

182.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$0.72 COP 2,311

218.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €1.98

$1.72 COP 5,502

31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$3.17 COP 10.2K

-6.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.06 COP 3,408

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 €2.25

$1.31 COP 4,192

96.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$1.33 COP 4,256

96.99%

Eggs

$4.11 €3.60

$2.28 COP 7,298

80.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.71 €15.52

$4.42 COP 14.1K

300.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 €10.27

$5.92 COP 18.9K

97.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.95

$8.64 COP 27.7K

123.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$2.34 COP 7,504

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.10 COP 3,527

114.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 €2.06

$1.47 COP 4,698

59.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 €2.94

$1.38 COP 4,415

143.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.17 COP 3,754

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.17 COP 3,744

103.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.00

$0.90 COP 2,890

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.84 COP 2,693

-15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 €9.60

$2.33 COP 7,449

370.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 €7.92

$11.92 COP 38.1K

-24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.15 COP 3,673

53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.42 COP 7,749

-17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.07

$0.84 COP 2,687

317.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.28 €29.16

$40.83 COP 130.7K

-18.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.17

$1.41 COP 4,517

318.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.91 COP 6,127

-28.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.85 €41.05

$7.83 COP 25.0K

498.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$0.94 COP 3,020

94.68%

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

$30.7K €26.9K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

72.36%

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

$32.3K €28.3K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

19.29%

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

$205 €179

$83.3 COP 266.4K

146.05%

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

$19.60 €17.17

$9.66 COP 30.9K

102.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €44.78

$24.22 COP 77.5K

111.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.10 €28.12

$25.22 COP 80.7K

27.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 €15.09

$19.33 COP 61.9K

-10.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.32 €13.42

$4.07 COP 13.0K

276.41%

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

$659 €578

$307 COP 981.2K

115.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.7K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

123.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €95.3

$60.0 COP 191.9K

81.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.42 €42.42

$32.65 COP 104.5K

48.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 €82.7

$101 COP 323.5K

-6.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 €82.3

$108 COP 345.7K

-13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 €609

$476 COP 1.5M

46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 €663

$379 COP 1.2M

99.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 €1,169

$816 COP 2.6M

63.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €981

$707 COP 2.3M

58.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,967 €2,599

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-6.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,959 €2,592

$1,446 COP 4.6M

104.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,303 €2,017

$622 COP 2.0M

270.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

13.43

-75.65%

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

Last update for Charleroi: July 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Charleroi and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleroi pays 270% 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: $63.0 in Charleroi vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $192 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

Charleroi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleroi and Medellin differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,891 vs $1,018 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 270% higher in Charleroi, 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: $695 in Charleroi versus $476 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 23% less than in Charleroi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $659 in Charleroi versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $1,891 in Charleroi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Charleroi. 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 86% less than in Charleroi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.