Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,811 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Krakow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,811

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,811 in Krakow versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Krakow $1,811
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,597 in Krakow versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Krakow $2,597
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Krakow versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Krakow $3,383
Medellin $3,139

Living in Krakow is roughly 14% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 35% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 zł 46.46

$8.01 COP 25.5K

48.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 zł 196

$46.55 COP 148.3K

7.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 zł 38.92

$9.43 COP 30.1K

5.62%

Cappuccino

$4.12 zł 16.09

$2.91 COP 9,277

41.58%

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

$2.57 zł 10.05

$1.75 COP 5,585

46.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 zł 9.52

$1.32 COP 4,218

84.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 zł 17.88

$3.13 COP 9,969

46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 zł 17.84

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.13

$1.41 COP 4,495

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.74

$2.44 COP 7,777

-39.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.62

$1.63 COP 5,191

3.68%

Eggs

$3.95 zł 15.42

$2.82 COP 8,990

40.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 zł 36.37

$9.69 COP 30.9K

-3.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 zł 30.29

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-16.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 zł 51.6

$13.46 COP 42.9K

-1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.23

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-66.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.62

$1.48 COP 4,719

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.86

$2.12 COP 6,768

-16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 zł 11.95

$2.25 COP 7,178

36.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$1.91 COP 6,092

-51.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.83

$1.62 COP 5,160

-39.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 zł 4.81

$1.15 COP 3,658

6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.13

$1.26 COP 4,021

-36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 zł 24.33

$3.82 COP 12.2K

62.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 zł 24.61

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.63

$1.60 COP 5,083

-26.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 zł 6.90

$2.26 COP 7,188

-21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 zł 5.86

$1.17 COP 3,731

28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.54 zł 131

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-55.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 zł 8.91

$1.27 COP 4,056

79.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 zł 3.88

$2.05 COP 6,531

-51.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 zł 47.78

$8.20 COP 26.1K

49.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.62

$1.27 COP 4,046

33.07%

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

$30.4K zł 119.0K

$26.8K COP 85.3M

13.72%

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

$28.9K zł 112.9K

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-16.03%

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

$333 zł 1,301

$162 COP 516.9K

105.25%

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

$8.71 zł 34.03

$13.12 COP 41.8K

-33.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 zł 67.7

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-38.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.70 zł 179

$44.33 COP 141.2K

3.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 zł 98.2

$16.33 COP 52.0K

53.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 zł 33.95

$6.09 COP 19.4K

42.69%

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

$463 zł 1,808

$764 COP 2.4M

-39.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,594 zł 37.5K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 zł 387

$85.0 COP 270.8K

16.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 zł 158

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 zł 353

$132 COP 419.8K

-31.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 zł 464

$95.8 COP 305.1K

24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 zł 3,698

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 zł 2,804

$604 COP 1.9M

18.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 zł 5,629

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-20.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,439

$993 COP 3.2M

14.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,602 zł 21.9K

$3,921 COP 12.5M

42.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 zł 13.8K

$1,639 COP 5.2M

116.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,855 zł 7,250

$626 COP 2.0M

196.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

10.94

-39.49%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$717 39.8%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 15.7% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.9%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 43.3% $156

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 23% $54

Eating Out

Krakow

$226 12.6%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 26.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$157 8.7%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 6.2% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$63 3.5%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 10.4% $6.6

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 95% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Krakow and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 196% 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: $50.0 in Krakow vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $288, with Krakow cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

05:32 5:32 AM

7 h behind Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Krakow Medellin 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Krakow
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

Krakow vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Krakow. 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 196% higher in Krakow, 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: $946 in Krakow versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Krakow pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,811 in Krakow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Krakow. 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 $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow 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 14% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.