Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
Learn more

Leeuwarden Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,588 per month in Leeuwarden vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,588
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,825 per month in Leeuwarden vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,825
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $5,063 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,063
Medellin $3,199

Leeuwarden costs about 59% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leeuwarden and Medellin sit above the global median – Leeuwarden by 91%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 €20.01

$8.30 COP 26.3K

171.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 €99.2

$46.91 COP 148.7K

137.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.61 €13.88

$9.24 COP 29.3K

68.94%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.44

$3.05 COP 9,676

26.56%

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

$3.73 €3.32

$1.80 COP 5,707

107.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.54

$1.38 COP 4,382

107.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.12

$3.24 COP 10.3K

112.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.75

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-3.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.50 COP 4,760

-22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.37 COP 7,508

-18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.70 COP 5,377

43.53%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.89

$2.96 COP 9,379

47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 €11.32

$10.22 COP 32.4K

24.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 €12.79

$9.74 COP 30.9K

47.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 €14.49

$13.90 COP 44.1K

17.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$1.53 COP 4,839

56.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.22 COP 7,052

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 €4.67

$2.27 COP 7,194

131.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.99 COP 6,311

-13.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.67 COP 5,285

15.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.18 COP 3,742

2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.24 COP 3,919

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 €12.63

$3.87 COP 12.3K

266.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 €6.24

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.66 COP 5,256

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$2.40 COP 7,615

-29.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 €2.92

$1.24 COP 3,944

165.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 €113

$78.2 COP 248.0K

62.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.78 €7.81

$1.28 COP 4,044

585.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.98 €3.54

$2.15 COP 6,803

85.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.0 €45.38

$8.37 COP 26.5K

509.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.15

$1.35 COP 4,288

78.52%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

19.83%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

12.39%

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

$369 €328

$167 COP 528.4K

121.57%

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

$43.01 €38.26

$13.62 COP 43.2K

215.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.83 €40.77

$29.12 COP 92.3K

57.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 €33.56

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-16.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 €16.90

$17.18 COP 54.5K

10.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$6.97 COP 22.1K

137.30%

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

$1,353 €1,204

$790 COP 2.5M

71.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K €20.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

148.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$87.8 COP 278.4K

30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €34.85

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-32.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 €116

$139 COP 440.7K

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$98.9 COP 313.5K

37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,202

$1,028 COP 3.3M

31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €915

$620 COP 2.0M

65.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,851 €3,425

$1,881 COP 6.0M

104.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,434

$1,008 COP 3.2M

59.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 €3,236

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-8.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,889

$1,702 COP 5.4M

90.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 €2,658

$663 COP 2.1M

350.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

10.94

-59.96%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 39.8% $409

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 54.3% $249

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 50.4% $174

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 9.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 8.5% $16

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 43.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 16.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Leeuwarden 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 351% higher in Leeuwarden, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Leeuwarden versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

7 h behind Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Leeuwarden Medellin 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Leeuwarden
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

Leeuwarden vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leeuwarden costs about 59% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,882 per month in Leeuwarden 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,353 per month in Leeuwarden and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Leeuwarden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Leeuwarden at $2,588. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,625 versus $2,588 in Leeuwarden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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