Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,028 in Drachten versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Drachten versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Drachten versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Drachten is roughly 97% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Drachten is 52% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.48 €16.17

$6.16 COP 20.1K

200.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 €63.9

$32.60 COP 106.1K

123.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 €11.32

$7.34 COP 23.9K

76.29%

Cappuccino

$3.37 €2.95

$1.72 COP 5,600

95.93%

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

$3.08 €2.70

$1.05 COP 3,420

193.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.24

$0.77 COP 2,515

232.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €4.96

$1.69 COP 5,488

234.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 €3.56

$3.17 COP 10.3K

28.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.05 COP 3,423

17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.30 COP 4,236

6.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.46

$1.40 COP 4,544

18.57%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.16

$2.16 COP 7,047

119.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 €11.94

$4.39 COP 14.3K

210.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 €12.02

$5.88 COP 19.1K

133.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 €11.22

$8.64 COP 28.1K

48.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.11

$2.28 COP 7,426

5.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.11 COP 3,604

127.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.53 COP 4,983

26.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.89

$1.35 COP 4,410

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.13 COP 3,674

54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.13 COP 3,692

41.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$0.85 COP 2,753

50.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$0.91 COP 2,975

-25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 €8.32

$2.34 COP 7,630

306.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €6.01

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-44.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.20 COP 3,909

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.49 COP 8,104

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 €3.44

$0.84 COP 2,728

367.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.21 €39.55

$40.57 COP 132.1K

11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.74

$1.42 COP 4,623

201.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.28

$1.92 COP 6,235

35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.5 €45.08

$7.66 COP 24.9K

572.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.99 COP 3,223

123.23%

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

$44.8K €39.2K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

148.29%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

46.55%

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

$265 €232

$80.8 COP 263.1K

228.33%

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

$30.25 €26.46

$9.95 COP 32.4K

204.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 €46.06

$24.18 COP 78.7K

117.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.4

$25.08 COP 81.7K

129.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 €20.34

$19.15 COP 62.3K

21.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 €13.24

$3.98 COP 13.0K

280.15%

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

$1,871 €1,637

$305 COP 993.5K

513.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,225 €5,446

$6,059 COP 19.7M

2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €79.8

$58.1 COP 189.2K

56.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 €40.59

$32.20 COP 104.8K

44.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €75.1

$101 COP 327.9K

-14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 €79.0

$108 COP 350.8K

-16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 €807

$477 COP 1.6M

93.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 €647

$376 COP 1.2M

96.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,231

$845 COP 2.7M

66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €916

$730 COP 2.4M

43.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 €3,996

$3,215 COP 10.5M

42.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 €3,038

$1,372 COP 4.5M

153.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,616 €2,288

$617 COP 2.0M

324.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

13.43

-75.80%

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

Last update for Drachten: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $922 in Drachten and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 324% 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: $73.0 in Drachten vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 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

Drachten vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 324% higher in Drachten, 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: $922 in Drachten versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,871 in Drachten versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Drachten. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,028 in Drachten, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Drachten. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Drachten, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Drachten 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 97% less than in Drachten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.