Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Ljubljana versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Ljubljana versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Ljubljana versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 99% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ljubljana is 54% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €15.10

$6.16 COP 20.1K

179.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.9

$32.60 COP 106.1K

113.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.28

$7.34 COP 23.9K

28.75%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.26

$1.72 COP 5,599

50.00%

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

$3.04 €2.66

$1.05 COP 3,420

189.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.77 COP 2,515

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.37

$1.69 COP 5,487

127.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.17 COP 10.3K

45.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.05 COP 3,423

40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.30 COP 4,236

66.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$1.40 COP 4,544

105.71%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.39

$2.16 COP 7,046

79.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 €11.72

$4.39 COP 14.3K

204.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 €9.37

$5.88 COP 19.1K

81.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 €11.17

$8.64 COP 28.1K

47.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.28 COP 7,425

-11.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.11 COP 3,603

58.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.53 COP 4,982

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.10

$1.35 COP 4,410

162.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.13 COP 3,674

21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.13 COP 3,692

43.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.50

$0.85 COP 2,753

101.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.91 COP 2,975

8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 €5.23

$2.34 COP 7,629

155.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 €7.35

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.20 COP 3,909

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.77

$2.49 COP 8,104

-18.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.28

$0.84 COP 2,727

73.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 €37.01

$40.57 COP 132.1K

4.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.42 COP 4,623

57.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.92 COP 6,235

-39.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 €17.51

$7.66 COP 24.9K

160.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.99 COP 3,223

75.76%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

60.03%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

8.58%

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

$279 €244

$80.8 COP 263.1K

244.75%

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

$18.60 €16.29

$9.95 COP 32.4K

86.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.84 €33.14

$24.18 COP 78.7K

56.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €46.20

$25.08 COP 81.6K

110.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 €15.80

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-5.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.99

$3.98 COP 13.0K

129.15%

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

$541 €474

$305 COP 993.4K

77.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

134.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100.0 €87.5

$58.1 COP 189.2K

71.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €40.47

$32.20 COP 104.8K

43.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$101 COP 327.9K

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €121

$108 COP 350.8K

28.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €878

$477 COP 1.6M

110.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 €745

$376 COP 1.2M

126.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,813

$845 COP 2.7M

145.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,286

$730 COP 2.4M

101.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,373 €5,581

$3,215 COP 10.5M

98.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,903 €4,294

$1,372 COP 4.5M

257.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,018 €1,767

$617 COP 2.0M

227.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

13.43

-71.41%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Ljubljana and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 227% 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: $69.0 in Ljubljana vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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

Ljubljana vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 227% higher in Ljubljana, 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: $1,002 in Ljubljana versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 4% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $541 in Ljubljana versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,054 in Ljubljana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ljubljana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ljubljana 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 99% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.