Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Daegu and in Medellin: $1,569 and $1,614 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Medellin $3,190

Daegu is about 3% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daegu and Medellin sit above the global median – Daegu by 16%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

17.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-40.32%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$3.11 COP 9,866

27.65%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$1.83 COP 5,800

-14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$1.38 COP 4,360

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$3.05 COP 9,672

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.45 COP 4,600

64.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$2.36 COP 7,496

90.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$1.68 COP 5,328

58.33%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$2.86 COP 9,077

-4.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-21.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

47.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$4.07 COP 12.9K

61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.50 COP 4,742

79.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$2.17 COP 6,891

163.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$2.31 COP 7,310

158.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$1.93 COP 6,113

37.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$1.64 COP 5,196

25.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$1.13 COP 3,571

284.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$1.25 COP 3,954

9.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-27.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$1.70 COP 5,384

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$2.37 COP 7,525

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.21 COP 3,827

-8.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$1.32 COP 4,179

137.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$2.14 COP 6,774

-71.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-5.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.30 COP 4,114

2.31%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

1.85%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

17.06%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$172 COP 545.6K

62.42%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

277.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

63.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

12.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-30.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

79.30%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$770 COP 2.4M

-31.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

209.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$137 COP 432.9K

-29.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

67.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$616 COP 2.0M

-55.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-40.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

75.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

231.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$652 COP 2.1M

279.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

10.94

-53.66%

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 28.8% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 43.2% $163

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 125% $342

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 5.8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 3% $5

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 7.3% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 21.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 280% higher in Daegu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $414 in Daegu vs $295 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

02:40 2:40 AM

14 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Daegu Medellin 14,690 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Daegu
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

Daegu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daegu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,569 in Daegu and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 3%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Daegu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,569 in Daegu to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Daegu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.