Cost of Living Comparison Between Diest and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Diest and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Diest versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,195 in Diest versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Diest versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Diest is roughly 30% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Diest 59% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.34 €20.35

$8.02 COP 25.0K

191.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.3 €79.6

$47.87 COP 149.4K

90.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.38 €10.79

$9.89 COP 30.8K

25.18%

Cappuccino

$3.73 €3.25

$3.13 COP 9,767

19.17%

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

$3.51 €3.06

$1.91 COP 5,954

83.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.46

$1.51 COP 4,712

86.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.88

$3.12 COP 9,747

79.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €4.08

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-18.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.44 COP 4,509

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.52

$2.49 COP 7,759

16.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.77 COP 5,535

29.38%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.25

$2.96 COP 9,235

26.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.71 €15.44

$10.07 COP 31.4K

75.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.48 €10.88

$10.12 COP 31.6K

23.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.49 €17.86

$14.30 COP 44.6K

43.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.56

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-29.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.61 COP 5,019

47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$2.25 COP 7,007

19.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.25 COP 7,028

38.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.04 COP 6,375

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.54 COP 4,790

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.17 COP 3,651

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.90

$1.31 COP 4,077

-21.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 €11.94

$3.90 COP 12.2K

251.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €7.08

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-42.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.74 COP 5,439

15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.87 COP 8,956

-32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 €2.76

$1.22 COP 3,792

159.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 €43.83

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-37.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.14

$1.31 COP 4,084

350.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.19 COP 6,825

14.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.71 €36.36

$8.71 COP 27.2K

378.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.37 COP 4,260

43.80%

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

$36.7K €31.9K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

31.67%

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

$35.2K €30.6K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-1.71%

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

$211 €184

$177 COP 553.2K

18.81%

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

$21.68 €18.90

$13.88 COP 43.3K

56.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 €45.82

$29.72 COP 92.8K

76.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.53 €32.71

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-16.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 €17.96

$17.12 COP 53.4K

20.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 €13.70

$6.65 COP 20.7K

136.24%

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

$745 €650

$813 COP 2.5M

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K €22.0K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

175.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.3

$89.5 COP 279.3K

18.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.58 €42.35

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.4

$138 COP 431.2K

-24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €128

$102 COP 318.7K

44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 €835

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 €747

$663 COP 2.1M

29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 €1,229

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,023

$1,027 COP 3.2M

14.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 €3,594

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-1.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,944 €2,566

$1,675 COP 5.2M

75.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,885

$678 COP 2.1M

219.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.94

-68.37%

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

Last update for Diest: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Diest and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Diest pays 219% 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: $91.0 in Diest vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $305 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

Diest vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Diest. 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 219% higher in Diest, 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: $958 in Diest 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 60% less than in Diest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $745 in Diest 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 $2,181 in Diest, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Diest. 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, Diest 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 30% less than in Diest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.