Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,393 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Ankara, Turkey
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Ankara
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,393
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ankara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,393 in Ankara, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Ankara $1,393

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,079 in Ankara, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Ankara $2,079

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,765 in Ankara, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Ankara $2,765

Medellin costs about 18% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Ankara sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Ankara by 2%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$9.90 ₺493
-18.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$42.89 ₺2,136
9.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$9.31 ₺464
2.04%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$4.15 ₺207
-27.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$1.66 ₺82.6
8.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$0.76 ₺37.91
85.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$5.15 ₺256
-38.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$5.85 ₺291
-1.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$1.20 ₺59.9
25.83%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$0.99 ₺49.43
140.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$2.15 ₺107
-17.67%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$2.69 ₺134
7.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$10.22 ₺509
-0.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$5.45 ₺272
81.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$20.32 ₺1,012
-31.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$1.91 ₺94.9
107.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$2.28 ₺113
-32.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$1.27 ₺63.1
71.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$1.64 ₺81.7
32.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$0.67 ₺33.26
192.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$0.57 ₺28.53
178.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$1.03 ₺51.3
11.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.64 ₺31.67
93.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$2.19 ₺109
80.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$12.46 ₺620
9.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$2.24 ₺112
-25.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$3.11 ₺155
-27.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$0.82 ₺40.84
42.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
$11.86 ₺591
552.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$1.28 ₺63.7
-0.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.81 ₺40.58
153.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$6.46 ₺321
32.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.40 ₺69.6
-3.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$47.9K ₺2.4M
-28.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$40.3K ₺2.0M
-14.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$93.1 ₺4,636
82.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$10.72 ₺534
26.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$17.87 ₺890
57.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$72.2 ₺3,594
-39.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$15.34 ₺764
12.06%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$8.04 ₺401
-14.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$1,032 ₺51.4K
-22.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$19.2K ₺955.1K
-52.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$53.4 ₺2,657
58.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$48.30 ₺2,405
20.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$104 ₺5,192
29.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$96.0 ₺4,782
1.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$765 ₺38.1K
57.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$569 ₺28.3K
12.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,127 ₺56.1K
79.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$893 ₺44.5K
13.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$1,678 ₺83.5K
148.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$1,158 ₺57.7K
64.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Ankara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,053 ₺52.4K
-37.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
43.57
-74.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Ankara
$569 11.3% $72
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Ankara
$254 14.5% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Ankara
$122 42.4% $90
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Ankara
$204 20.3% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Ankara
$136 19.6% $33
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Ankara
$21 78.1% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Ankara
$88 53.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $765 in Ankara. 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 60% higher in Ankara, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $43 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $254 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇹🇷 Ankara
🕒 Local time
20:55 8:55 PM
04:55 4:55 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
5,864,049 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 49.8 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.44 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Ankara 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Ankara

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
Medellin vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Ankara?
Medellin costs about 18% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Medellin and in Ankara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,090 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Ankara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ankara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $765 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and in Ankara?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $1,032 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Ankara?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Medellin or in Ankara?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,393 in Ankara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Ankara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,393 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Ankara is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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