Cost of Living Comparison Between Kos and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kos and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,487 in Kos versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Kos versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,099 in Kos versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Kos is roughly 44% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kos is 11% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €14.93

$6.16 COP 20.1K

176.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 €65.0

$32.60 COP 106.1K

127.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 €10.46

$7.34 COP 23.9K

62.67%

Cappuccino

$4.74 €4.15

$1.72 COP 5,599

175.58%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$1.05 COP 3,420

205.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.77 COP 2,515

44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.69 COP 5,487

171.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.07

$3.17 COP 10.3K

118.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 €2.08

$1.05 COP 3,423

125.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.30 COP 4,236

30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.40 COP 4,544

76.43%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.53

$2.16 COP 7,046

86.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €11.83

$4.39 COP 14.3K

207.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 €8.46

$5.88 COP 19.1K

64.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 €11.99

$8.64 COP 28.1K

58.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.28 COP 7,425

-6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.85

$1.11 COP 3,603

90.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.53 COP 4,982

-6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.35 COP 4,410

45.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.12

$1.13 COP 3,674

12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.13 COP 3,692

9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.89

$0.85 COP 2,753

18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.91 COP 2,975

-17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.70

$2.34 COP 7,629

129.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €5.95

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.20 COP 3,909

69.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.38

$2.49 COP 8,104

9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.84 COP 2,727

90.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.73 €40.05

$40.57 COP 132.1K

12.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.04

$1.42 COP 4,623

225.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.79 €12.08

$7.66 COP 24.9K

80.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.90

$0.99 COP 3,223

119.19%

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

$31.0K €27.2K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

72.05%

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

$27.0K €23.7K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

1.54%

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

$213 €186

$80.8 COP 263.1K

163.06%

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

$23.37 €20.46

$9.95 COP 32.4K

134.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.79 €31.35

$24.18 COP 78.7K

48.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 €42.33

$25.08 COP 81.6K

92.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.52 €23.22

$19.15 COP 62.3K

38.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.33 €8.17

$3.98 COP 13.0K

134.42%

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

$420 €368

$305 COP 993.4K

37.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,936 €5,199

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-2.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$58.1 COP 189.2K

50.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.88 €34.06

$32.20 COP 104.8K

20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €78.6

$101 COP 327.9K

-10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.3

$108 COP 350.8K

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 €429

$477 COP 1.6M

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 €329

$376 COP 1.2M

-0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 €652

$845 COP 2.7M

-11.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 €529

$730 COP 2.4M

-17.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 €2,143

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-23.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,497 €2,187

$1,372 COP 4.5M

81.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$925 €810

$617 COP 2.0M

49.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

13.43

-67.01%

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

Last update for Kos: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Kos and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kos pays 50% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kos vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Kos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Kos, 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: $490 in Kos versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $74.0 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,487 per month in Kos versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,487 in Kos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kos. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kos 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Kos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.