Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jelgava and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jelgava: $1,079 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Jelgava
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Jelgava Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Jelgava

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,079

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,079 per month in Jelgava vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Jelgava $1,079
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,644 per month in Jelgava vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Jelgava $1,644
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,209 per month in Jelgava vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Jelgava $2,209
Medellin $3,199

Jelgava is about 34% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jelgava sits 20% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.74 €6.88

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-6.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.05 €40.07

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-3.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.58 €5.85

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-28.79%

Cappuccino

$3.32 €2.95

$3.05 COP 9,676

8.85%

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

$1.61 €1.43

$1.80 COP 5,707

-10.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.38 COP 4,382

-13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €4.02

$3.24 COP 10.3K

39.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 €3.51

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-29.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.50 COP 4,760

-18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 €0.81

$2.37 COP 7,508

-61.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.70 COP 5,377

-12.94%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.84

$2.96 COP 9,379

7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 €9.20

$10.22 COP 32.4K

1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 €4.79

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-44.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 €7.82

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-36.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-60.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.53 COP 4,839

20.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.18

$2.22 COP 7,052

10.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$2.27 COP 7,194

37.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.99 COP 6,311

-58.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.85

$1.67 COP 5,285

-43.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.18 COP 3,742

44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.24 COP 3,919

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.69 €5.95

$3.87 COP 12.3K

72.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.06

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-42.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.66 COP 5,256

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.40 COP 7,615

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 €0.83

$1.24 COP 3,944

-24.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.22 €25.10

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-63.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 €3.00

$1.28 COP 4,044

164.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.92

$2.15 COP 6,803

-51.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.93 €15.95

$8.37 COP 26.5K

114.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.35 COP 4,288

40.74%

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

$22.6K €20.1K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-34.85%

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

$29.5K €26.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-14.84%

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

$186 €166

$167 COP 528.4K

11.77%

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

$18.90 €16.81

$13.62 COP 43.2K

38.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.88 €13.24

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-48.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.18 €41.08

$45.09 COP 143.0K

2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 €28.56

$17.18 COP 54.5K

86.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 €9.81

$6.97 COP 22.1K

58.25%

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

$226 €201

$790 COP 2.5M

-71.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

57.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.55 €44.07

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-43.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.28 €19.81

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-61.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.1 €48.96

$139 COP 440.7K

-60.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$98.9 COP 313.5K

14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 €295

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-67.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 €230

$620 COP 2.0M

-58.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 €522

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-68.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 €378

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-57.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,025 €912

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-74.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$905 €805

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-46.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,597 €1,420

$663 COP 2.1M

140.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-63.44%

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

Last update for Jelgava: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jelgava

$258 23.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 140% $361

Groceries & Markets

Jelgava

$221 20.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 34.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jelgava

$220 20.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 4.8% $11

Eating Out

Jelgava

$163 15.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 4.7% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Jelgava

$108 10%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 59.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Jelgava

$68 6.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 13.5% $9.2

Getting Around

Jelgava

$41 3.8%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 135% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $331 in Jelgava versus $1,028 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 141% higher in Jelgava, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Jelgava versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $298 – making Jelgava the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Jelgava

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

8 h behind Jelgava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,534

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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Jelgava Medellin 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Jelgava
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

Jelgava vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,619 per month in Jelgava and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jelgava, 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 $45.00 in Jelgava and $47.00 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 $1,079 in Jelgava and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 51%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jelgava, where all-in costs run around $1,079, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Jelgava it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jelgava – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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