Cost of Living Comparison Between Giessen and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Giessen and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,300 per month in Giessen vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,234 per month in Giessen vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,168 per month in Giessen vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Giessen costs about 123% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Giessen sits 72% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 €18.04

$5.92 COP 21.5K

256.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €69.8

$32.75 COP 119.1K

149.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.11 €11.20

$7.20 COP 26.2K

82.08%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.30

$1.70 COP 6,186

127.06%

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

$3.06 €2.61

$1.10 COP 3,996

178.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.72 COP 2,625

170.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 €4.13

$1.67 COP 6,067

189.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.32

$3.10 COP 11.3K

63.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.04

$1.06 COP 3,837

15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €1.96

$1.25 COP 4,531

83.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €2.91

$1.39 COP 5,060

145.32%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.39

$2.26 COP 8,229

75.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 €12.40

$4.33 COP 15.8K

235.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 €12.30

$5.84 COP 21.2K

146.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.74 €16.86

$8.83 COP 32.1K

123.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.60

$2.24 COP 8,159

36.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.08 COP 3,911

67.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$1.53 COP 5,563

40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 €4.18

$1.37 COP 4,987

256.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.17

$1.13 COP 4,109

22.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.12 COP 4,067

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.59

$0.85 COP 3,080

118.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €0.99

$0.91 COP 3,305

27.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 €8.19

$2.33 COP 8,477

312.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 €4.93

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-48.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.19 COP 4,342

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$2.37 COP 8,617

-29.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 €2.99

$0.79 COP 2,859

343.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €52.6

$41.13 COP 149.6K

49.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €4.97

$1.44 COP 5,223

304.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.91 COP 6,952

-27.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.82 €34.00

$8.02 COP 29.2K

396.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.70

$0.94 COP 3,410

111.70%

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

$31.9K €27.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

78.07%

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

$37.1K €31.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

38.47%

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

$333 €284

$84.0 COP 305.4K

296.46%

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

$32.85 €28.05

$9.60 COP 34.9K

242.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 €46.21

$24.16 COP 87.9K

123.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.95 €27.28

$25.88 COP 94.1K

23.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 €19.94

$19.04 COP 69.3K

22.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 €11.67

$3.92 COP 14.2K

248.72%

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

$1,120 €957

$306 COP 1.1M

265.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$46.2K €39.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

679.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.44 €38.80

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-21.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.44 €20.02

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-26.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €91.6

$99.9 COP 363.3K

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$107 COP 389.7K

29.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 €789

$487 COP 1.8M

89.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €805

$368 COP 1.3M

156.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 €1,274

$826 COP 3.0M

80.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 €1,095

$716 COP 2.6M

79.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,056

$2,925 COP 10.6M

102.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,933 €2,505

$1,407 COP 5.1M

108.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 €2,194

$546 COP 2.0M

371.01%

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 Giessen: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Giessen versus $487 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 run about 371% higher in Giessen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Giessen versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Giessen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,300 in Giessen, $1,034 in Medellin – roughly 123% apart. Giessen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,450 per month in Giessen and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Giessen and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,300 in Giessen and $1,034 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Giessen at $2,300. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Giessen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,034 in Medellin to $2,300 in Giessen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Giessen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.