Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,965 in Leiden versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,152 in Leiden versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,339 in Leiden versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Leiden is roughly 73% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leiden 116% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.62 €17.78

$8.03 COP 25.3K

156.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.6

$48.26 COP 152.3K

93.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.15

$9.77 COP 30.8K

44.11%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.46

$2.91 COP 9,185

38.14%

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

$3.65 €3.15

$1.94 COP 6,134

88.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.64

$1.52 COP 4,801

101.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 €7.07

$3.09 COP 9,759

165.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.41

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-10.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.36 COP 4,304

-5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.39 COP 7,534

-5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 €2.90

$1.70 COP 5,366

97.65%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.26

$2.87 COP 9,056

71.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.97

$9.94 COP 31.4K

51.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 €12.91

$10.78 COP 34.0K

38.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 €14.14

$14.73 COP 46.5K

11.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.57 COP 4,960

54.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.13 COP 6,708

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 €4.32

$2.21 COP 6,985

126.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$2.05 COP 6,460

-8.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.50 COP 4,747

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.19 COP 3,755

18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.16 COP 3,654

-36.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 €11.84

$3.90 COP 12.3K

252.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 €6.27

$14.44 COP 45.6K

-49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.58 COP 4,997

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.83 COP 8,923

-4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.57

$1.17 COP 3,686

153.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €117

$77.7 COP 245.3K

74.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 €3.02

$1.28 COP 4,054

173.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.53 €3.05

$2.09 COP 6,602

68.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.01 €19.84

$8.62 COP 27.2K

166.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.30 COP 4,096

89.23%

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

$42.3K €36.5K

$27.7K COP 87.3M

53.05%

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

$41.2K €35.5K

$35.5K COP 112.0M

15.97%

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

$291 €251

$176 COP 555.6K

65.28%

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

$16.35 €14.10

$13.37 COP 42.2K

22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 €45.28

$29.89 COP 94.3K

75.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 €39.65

$44.76 COP 141.2K

2.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.94 €10.29

$17.06 COP 53.8K

-30.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 €12.80

$6.20 COP 19.6K

139.35%

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

$1,793 €1,546

$793 COP 2.5M

126.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.8K

$9,019 COP 28.5M

52.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €103

$85.6 COP 270.1K

39.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.78 €42.08

$58.5 COP 184.5K

-16.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €106

$136 COP 430.1K

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €123

$103 COP 325.4K

38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 €1,556

$1,060 COP 3.3M

70.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 €1,229

$680 COP 2.1M

109.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,552 €2,201

$2,012 COP 6.3M

26.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 €1,751

$1,169 COP 3.7M

73.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,790 €6,719

$4,111 COP 13.0M

89.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,904 €5,092

$1,701 COP 5.4M

247.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,282 €3,693

$665 COP 2.1M

543.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

10.94

-74.41%

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

Last update for Leiden: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Leiden and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leiden pays 544% 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: $93.0 in Leiden vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $303 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

Leiden vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Leiden. 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 544% higher in Leiden, 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: $1,805 in Leiden versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Leiden. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $93.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,965 in Leiden, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Leiden. 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 $1,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Leiden 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 73% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.