Cost of Living Comparison Between Duisburg and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Duisburg and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Duisburg versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,946 in Duisburg versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,827 in Duisburg versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Duisburg is roughly 104% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Duisburg is 54% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.56 €11.76

$5.99 COP 21.5K

126.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 €60.6

$32.86 COP 118.1K

112.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.45

$7.09 COP 25.5K

86.18%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.57

$1.71 COP 6,155

140.94%

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

$3.74 €3.25

$1.10 COP 3,950

240.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.86

$0.78 COP 2,799

323.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.39

$1.68 COP 6,037

201.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 €4.72

$3.07 COP 11.0K

77.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.09 COP 3,931

8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.26 COP 4,537

73.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 €3.40

$1.38 COP 4,955

184.06%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.16

$2.19 COP 7,878

66.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 €12.62

$4.40 COP 15.8K

230.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 €12.57

$5.63 COP 20.2K

157.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.76 €19.75

$8.89 COP 32.0K

156.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.76

$2.34 COP 8,403

35.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.06 COP 3,802

81.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €2.02

$1.50 COP 5,409

54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.70

$1.38 COP 4,956

209.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.15 COP 4,138

27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.16 COP 4,183

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.89 COP 3,203

125.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.84 COP 3,016

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 €8.84

$2.28 COP 8,198

346.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.12 €6.17

$10.64 COP 38.3K

-33.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.20 COP 4,312

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$2.47 COP 8,882

-36.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.89 €5.11

$0.86 COP 3,076

584.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 €50.3

$41.40 COP 148.8K

40.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 €5.58

$1.47 COP 5,298

338.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.96 COP 7,055

8.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.58 €32.60

$7.74 COP 27.8K

385.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.95 COP 3,431

117.89%

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

$31.7K €27.5K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

75.10%

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

$39.8K €34.5K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

50.23%

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

$579 €502

$82.3 COP 295.7K

603.74%

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

$32.78 €28.43

$9.50 COP 34.2K

245.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 €43.43

$24.23 COP 87.1K

106.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.52 €27.35

$25.89 COP 93.0K

21.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 €19.57

$19.00 COP 68.3K

18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 €13.31

$3.93 COP 14.1K

290.59%

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

$257 €223

$309 COP 1.1M

-16.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,663 €8,383

$5,965 COP 21.4M

61.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.0

$58.7 COP 210.8K

72.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €36.13

$32.35 COP 116.3K

28.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.7

$103 COP 368.8K

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$108 COP 389.7K

9.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 €442

$476 COP 1.7M

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 €390

$379 COP 1.4M

18.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 €791

$838 COP 3.0M

8.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 €571

$724 COP 2.6M

-9.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,907 €5,992

$2,791 COP 10.0M

147.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 €3,060

$1,211 COP 4.4M

191.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,050 €2,646

$512 COP 1.8M

495.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

13.43

-70.36%

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

Last update for Duisburg: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Duisburg and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duisburg pays 496% 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: $70.0 in Duisburg vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $188 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

Duisburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 104% lower than in Duisburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Duisburg pays 496% more on average, 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 Duisburg versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $257 in Duisburg versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Duisburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,064 in Duisburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Duisburg. 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 $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Duisburg 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 104% less than in Duisburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.