Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geleen and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,469 in Geleen, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Geleen, Netherlands
Medellin, Colombia
Geleen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,469
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,469 per month in Geleen vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Geleen $2,469
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,664 per month in Geleen vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Geleen $3,664
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,858 per month in Geleen vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Geleen $4,858
  • Medellin $3,186

Geleen costs about 51% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Geleen and Medellin sit above the global median – Geleen by 81%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.16 €18.11
$8.09 COP 25.4K
149.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.7 €85.0
$47.05 COP 148.0K
101.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.37 €11.11
$9.50 COP 29.9K
30.21%
Cappuccino
$4.07 €3.66
$3.01 COP 9,485
35.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.32
$1.80 COP 5,660
105.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 €2.71
$1.41 COP 4,443
114.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.22 €5.59
$3.18 COP 9,990
95.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69 €5.11
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-1.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.15
$1.51 COP 4,751
-15.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 €1.64
$2.38 COP 7,480
-23.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 €2.44
$1.77 COP 5,573
53.11%
Eggs
$4.49 €4.03
$2.89 COP 9,093
55.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.53 €13.05
$10.19 COP 32.1K
42.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.76 €12.36
$9.87 COP 31.1K
39.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.75 €14.14
$13.99 COP 44.0K
12.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.57 €2.31
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-35.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 €2.23
$1.55 COP 4,883
60.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.18 COP 6,867
-12.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 €4.06
$2.18 COP 6,870
107.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.96 COP 6,174
-1.02%
Onion (1kg)
$2.40 €2.15
$1.59 COP 5,000
50.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.15
$1.15 COP 3,604
11.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.71
$1.24 COP 3,911
-36.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.83 €12.42
$3.96 COP 12.5K
249.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.84 €6.14
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.30
$1.66 COP 5,221
-13.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 €2.34
$2.26 COP 7,103
15.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.99 €3.59
$1.17 COP 3,674
241.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.9 €71.8
$77.4 COP 243.4K
3.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.41 €3.07
$1.27 COP 3,989
168.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.24 €2.91
$2.05 COP 6,442
58.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.28 €25.41
$8.55 COP 26.9K
230.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.10
$1.35 COP 4,237
73.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.5K €36.4K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
18.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K €35.9K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
15.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$263 €236
$170 COP 533.7K
54.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.91 €15.19
$13.55 COP 42.6K
24.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.15 €36.96
$28.07 COP 88.3K
46.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.48 €37.26
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-5.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.30 €18.24
$17.19 COP 54.1K
18.09%
Cinema Ticket
$14.14 €12.70
$6.91 COP 21.7K
104.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,273 €1,144
$797 COP 2.5M
59.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,603 €5,931
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-27.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.1 €71.1
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-6.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.39 €33.59
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-35.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €99.9
$135 COP 424.6K
-17.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$97.9 COP 307.9K
30.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,444 €1,297
$1,208 COP 3.8M
19.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 €1,040
$642 COP 2.0M
80.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,337 €2,099
$2,028 COP 6.4M
15.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,877 €1,686
$1,012 COP 3.2M
85.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,513 €4,953
$4,170 COP 13.1M
32.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,918 €3,519
$1,910 COP 6.0M
105.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Geleen
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,395 €3,948
$657 COP 2.1M
568.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.02
10.94
-63.25%

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

Last update for Geleen: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Geleen
$1.2K
Medellin
$642 44.6% $516
Groceries & Markets
Geleen
$329
Medellin
$297 9.7% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Geleen
$321
Medellin
$211 34.2% $110
Eating Out
Geleen
$317
Medellin
$170 46.4% $147
Clothing & Footwear
Geleen
$160
Medellin
$169 5.7% $9.1
Getting Around
Geleen
$116
Medellin
$94 19% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Geleen
$70
Medellin
$58 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,444 in Geleen versus $1,208 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 in Geleen are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Geleen versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Geleen
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
00:01 12:01 AM
18:01 6:01 PM
6 h behind Geleen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
31,970
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Geleen Medellin 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Geleen
  • 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
Geleen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Geleen?
Yes – Geleen is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,704 per month in Geleen and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,444 in Geleen.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 3% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,273 per month in Geleen and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Geleen or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geleen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Geleen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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