Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Haarlem vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,192 per month in Haarlem vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,531 per month in Haarlem vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Haarlem costs about 182% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Haarlem sits 113% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.12 €25.05

$5.99 COP 21.4K

386.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €89.0

$32.86 COP 117.4K

215.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €11.78

$7.09 COP 25.3K

93.09%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.72

$1.71 COP 6,115

153.22%

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

$4.00 €3.44

$1.10 COP 3,924

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.86

$0.78 COP 2,781

326.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €5.92

$1.68 COP 5,997

309.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.11

$3.07 COP 11.0K

93.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.09 COP 3,906

28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 €2.29

$1.26 COP 4,508

111.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.38 COP 4,922

116.67%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.06

$2.19 COP 7,827

115.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 €12.34

$4.40 COP 15.7K

225.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 €13.27

$5.63 COP 20.1K

173.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 €16.00

$8.89 COP 31.8K

109.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.34 COP 8,349

8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.06 COP 3,777

141.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.50 COP 5,374

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.43

$1.38 COP 4,924

188.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.15 COP 4,111

76.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.16 COP 4,155

61.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.03

$0.89 COP 3,182

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.84 COP 2,997

11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 €12.47

$2.28 COP 8,145

535.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.19

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.20 COP 4,284

28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.47 COP 8,824

-2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.66

$0.86 COP 3,056

259.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €98.1

$41.40 COP 147.9K

175.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.95

$1.47 COP 5,264

291.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.25

$1.96 COP 7,009

33.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.33 €23.51

$7.74 COP 27.6K

253.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.95 COP 3,409

138.95%

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

$39.9K €34.4K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

120.26%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

47.93%

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

$243 €209

$82.3 COP 293.7K

195.38%

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

$28.02 €24.10

$9.50 COP 33.9K

194.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 €49.81

$24.23 COP 86.5K

139.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 €35.52

$25.89 COP 92.4K

59.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 €20.66

$19.00 COP 67.9K

26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$16.70 €14.37

$3.93 COP 14.0K

324.94%

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

$2,716 €2,336

$309 COP 1.1M

777.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,256 €5,382

$5,965 COP 21.3M

4.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.1

$58.7 COP 209.5K

72.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 €45.98

$32.35 COP 115.5K

65.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €100

$103 COP 366.4K

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €137

$108 COP 387.2K

47.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 €1,492

$476 COP 1.7M

264.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 €1,185

$379 COP 1.4M

263.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 €2,179

$838 COP 3.0M

202.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 €1,832

$724 COP 2.6M

194.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,318 €7,155

$2,791 COP 10.0M

198.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,393 €5,499

$1,211 COP 4.3M

427.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,929 €3,380

$512 COP 1.8M

667.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

13.43

-68.13%

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

Last update for Haarlem: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,734 in Haarlem versus $476 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 668% higher in Haarlem, 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 $104 in Haarlem versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $188 – 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

Haarlem vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 182% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Haarlem and $1,519 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 $104 in Haarlem 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 $2,853 in Haarlem and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Haarlem at $2,853. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haarlem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $2,853 in Haarlem. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.