Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,522 in Kaunas versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,268 in Kaunas versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,015 in Kaunas versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Kaunas costs roughly 9% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kaunas 11% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.25 €10.68

$8.02 COP 25.0K

52.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €61.6

$47.87 COP 149.4K

47.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €9.05

$9.89 COP 30.8K

5.06%

Cappuccino

$3.61 €3.15

$3.13 COP 9,767

15.34%

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

$3.37 €2.93

$1.91 COP 5,954

76.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €2.98

$1.51 COP 4,712

126.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 €4.59

$3.12 COP 9,747

68.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.96

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-21.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.44 COP 4,509

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.49 COP 7,759

-26.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.77 COP 5,535

29.94%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.84

$2.96 COP 9,235

10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 €13.21

$10.07 COP 31.4K

50.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 €7.14

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-19.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 €12.43

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-61.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.61 COP 5,019

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.25 COP 7,007

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.25 COP 7,028

51.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 €0.86

$2.04 COP 6,375

-51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.54 COP 4,790

-40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.17 COP 3,651

54.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.31 COP 4,077

-27.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 €5.54

$3.90 COP 12.2K

63.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 €8.81

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.74 COP 5,439

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.95

$2.87 COP 8,956

-21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.22 COP 3,792

-2.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.07 €27.95

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-60.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.31 COP 4,084

-13.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 €0.76

$2.19 COP 6,825

-60.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.65 €14.51

$8.71 COP 27.2K

91.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.65

$1.37 COP 4,260

38.69%

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

$28.4K €24.7K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

1.99%

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

$29.1K €25.4K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-18.64%

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

$214 €187

$177 COP 553.2K

20.89%

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

$16.64 €14.51

$13.88 COP 43.3K

19.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.46 €14.34

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-44.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 €29.34

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.32 €25.55

$17.12 COP 53.4K

71.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 €10.80

$6.65 COP 20.7K

86.32%

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

$691 €602

$813 COP 2.5M

-14.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,930 €7,785

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-2.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €77.2

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 €36.84

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €108

$138 COP 431.2K

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €148

$102 COP 318.7K

66.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 €586

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 €413

$663 COP 2.1M

-28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 €841

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-48.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €577

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-35.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,729 €3,251

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-10.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,483 €2,164

$1,675 COP 5.2M

48.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,767 €1,541

$678 COP 2.1M

160.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

10.94

-62.98%

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

Last update for Kaunas: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Kaunas and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 161% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Kaunas vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $305, with Kaunas cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kaunas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaunas wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaunas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 161% higher in Kaunas, 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: $672 in Kaunas versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaunas – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,522 per month in Kaunas versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,522 in Kaunas versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaunas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kaunas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kaunas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,522 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaunas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas 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 Kaunas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.