Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,363 in Enschede, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Enschede
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Enschede Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Enschede

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,363

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in Enschede versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Enschede $2,363
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,680 in Enschede versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Enschede $3,680
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,996 in Enschede versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Enschede $4,996
Medellin $3,199

Living in Enschede is roughly 45% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Enschede 74% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.35 €18.99

$8.30 COP 26.3K

157.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 €71.1

$46.91 COP 148.7K

70.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.56 €13.84

$9.24 COP 29.3K

68.40%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.62

$3.05 COP 9,676

33.11%

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

$3.55 €3.16

$1.80 COP 5,707

97.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.57

$1.38 COP 4,382

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 €5.35

$3.24 COP 10.3K

85.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.61

$5.56 COP 17.6K

13.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.50 COP 4,760

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.37 COP 7,508

5.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.70 COP 5,377

55.29%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.91

$2.96 COP 9,379

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 €12.23

$10.22 COP 32.4K

34.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$9.74 COP 30.9K

49.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$13.90 COP 44.1K

6.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-34.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.53 COP 4,839

43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.22 COP 7,052

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 €4.24

$2.27 COP 7,194

110.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.99 COP 6,311

56.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.67 COP 5,285

27.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.06

$1.18 COP 3,742

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$1.24 COP 3,919

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.54

$3.87 COP 12.3K

264.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.91

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-51.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.66 COP 5,256

-13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.40 COP 7,615

23.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 €2.64

$1.24 COP 3,944

138.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 €101

$78.2 COP 248.0K

44.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.34

$1.28 COP 4,044

193.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.15 COP 6,803

19.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 €24.49

$8.37 COP 26.5K

228.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.35 COP 4,288

88.15%

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

$41.9K €37.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

20.43%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

12.16%

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

$262 €233

$167 COP 528.4K

57.30%

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

$21.36 €19.00

$13.62 COP 43.2K

56.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.78 €39.83

$29.12 COP 92.3K

53.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 €30.42

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 €21.50

$17.18 COP 54.5K

40.69%

Cinema Ticket

$19.13 €17.02

$6.97 COP 22.1K

174.46%

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

$1,198 €1,065

$790 COP 2.5M

51.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,959 €7,079

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-11.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.1

$87.8 COP 278.4K

6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 €33.26

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-35.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 €81.5

$139 COP 440.7K

-34.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.7

$98.9 COP 313.5K

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,187

$1,028 COP 3.3M

29.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €892

$620 COP 2.0M

61.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 €2,232

$1,881 COP 6.0M

33.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,774

$1,008 COP 3.2M

97.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,629 €4,118

$3,988 COP 12.6M

16.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,233 €2,876

$1,702 COP 5.4M

89.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,857 €2,541

$663 COP 2.1M

330.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

10.94

-57.95%

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

Last update for Enschede: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Enschede

$1K 42.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 38.2% $383

Groceries & Markets

Enschede

$338 14.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 11.8% $40

Eating Out

Enschede

$335 14.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 49% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Enschede

$328 13.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 36.2% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Enschede

$145 6.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 18.7% $27

Getting Around

Enschede

$141 6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 32.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Enschede

$72 3.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 18.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,334 in Enschede and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 331% 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: $80.0 in Enschede vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Enschede

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

17:51 5:51 PM

7 h behind Enschede

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,235

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Enschede Medellin 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Enschede
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

Enschede vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Enschede and Medellin differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,363 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 331% higher in Enschede, 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: $1,334 in Enschede versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,363 per month in Enschede versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 45% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,363 in Enschede, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Enschede. 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.

Safety-wise, Enschede 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 45% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.