Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kos and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kos: $1,506 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Kos, Greece
Medellin, Colombia
Kos
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,506
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,506 in Kos versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Kos $1,506
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,265 in Kos versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Kos $2,265
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,024 in Kos versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Kos $3,024
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in Kos costs roughly 8% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kos 11% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.93 €12.51
$8.09 COP 25.4K
72.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.4 €59.7
$47.05 COP 148.0K
41.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.25 €10.10
$9.50 COP 29.9K
18.42%
Cappuccino
$4.01 €3.61
$3.01 COP 9,485
33.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 €2.77
$1.80 COP 5,660
71.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.41 COP 4,443
-21.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.34 €3.90
$3.18 COP 9,990
36.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.53 €5.87
$5.75 COP 18.1K
13.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.42 €2.17
$1.51 COP 4,751
60.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 €1.46
$2.38 COP 7,480
-31.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.61 €2.34
$1.77 COP 5,573
47.46%
Eggs
$4.61 €4.14
$2.89 COP 9,093
59.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 €11.75
$10.19 COP 32.1K
28.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.17 €9.13
$9.87 COP 31.1K
3.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.05 €13.52
$13.99 COP 44.0K
7.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.97
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-44.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 €1.80
$1.55 COP 4,883
29.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.18 COP 6,867
-37.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.83
$2.18 COP 6,870
-6.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.96 COP 6,174
-42.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.59 COP 5,000
-28.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 €0.98
$1.15 COP 3,604
-5.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.76
$1.24 COP 3,911
-32.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.39 €4.84
$3.96 COP 12.5K
36.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.07
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-50.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.81
$1.66 COP 5,221
21.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.26 COP 7,103
13.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Kos
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.17 COP 3,674
56.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.85 €44.78
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-35.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.09 €3.67
$1.27 COP 3,989
222.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 €1.02
$2.05 COP 6,442
-44.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.47 €14.80
$8.55 COP 26.9K
92.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.35 COP 4,237
54.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.1K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-17.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K €22.6K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-27.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 €181
$170 COP 533.7K
18.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.92 €20.59
$13.55 COP 42.6K
69.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.73 €31.20
$28.07 COP 88.3K
23.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.6 €45.49
$43.70 COP 137.5K
15.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.52 €25.62
$17.19 COP 54.1K
65.91%
Cinema Ticket
$8.80 €7.90
$6.91 COP 21.7K
27.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$417 €375
$797 COP 2.5M
-47.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,025 €8,107
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-0.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.0 €79.9
$84.7 COP 266.5K
4.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.15 €36.07
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-30.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.5 €83.1
$135 COP 424.6K
-31.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €110
$97.9 COP 307.9K
25.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kos
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$610 €548
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-49.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$420 €377
$642 COP 2.0M
-34.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$715 €642
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-64.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$587 €527
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-41.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,594 €2,330
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-37.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,012 €1,807
$1,910 COP 6.0M
5.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kos
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$902 €810
$657 COP 2.1M
37.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
10.94
-59.05%

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

Last update for Kos: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kos
$420
Medellin
$642 52.7% $221
Groceries & Markets
Kos
$292
Medellin
$297 1.7% $5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kos
$259
Medellin
$211 18.5% $48
Eating Out
Kos
$245
Medellin
$170 30.8% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Kos
$155
Medellin
$169 9.1% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Kos
$68
Medellin
$58 15.7% $11
Getting Around
Kos
$67
Medellin
$94 39.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Kos and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kos pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Kos vs $47 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $297, with Kos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Kos
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
01:45 1:45 AM
18:45 6:45 PM
7 h behind Kos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,947
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
  • Kos Medellin 10,710 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kos
  • 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
Kos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kos or Medellin?
Kos wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kos or in Medellin?
Average pay runs 37% higher in Kos, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kos compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $610 in Kos versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Kos and in Medellin?
Childcare runs $417 in Kos versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Kos and in Medellin?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $66 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kos or in Medellin?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kos is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kos or Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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