Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arnhem Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arnhem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,670 in Arnhem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $3,932 in Arnhem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $5,193 in Arnhem.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 39% less than in Arnhem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Arnhem 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$23.68 €20.41

-66.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$89.2 €76.9

-45.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$13.70 €11.81

-31.24%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.25 €3.66

-30.82%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$3.44 €2.96

-45.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$2.70 €2.32

-45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$5.76 €4.97

-44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.95 €5.13

-4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.29 €1.11

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.12 €1.83

13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.42 €2.95

-50.29%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$5.58 €4.81

-48.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$13.45 €11.60

-25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$15.22 €13.12

-34.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$16.97 €14.63

-16.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.79 €2.40

42.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.52 €2.17

-37.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.89 €1.63

13.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$5.69 €4.90

-59.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.96 €1.69

2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.45 €2.11

-38.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.32 €1.14

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.77 €0.67

66.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$14.49 €12.49

-73.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.47 €6.44

87.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.49 €1.28

14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.77 €2.39

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$4.67 €4.02

-73.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$115 €99.6

-32.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.14 €3.57

-68.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.37 €2.04

-8.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$34.78 €29.98

-76.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.47 €2.13

-44.94%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$42.7K €36.8K

-35.73%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$40.1K €34.5K

-8.77%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$294 €253

-42.59%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$23.24 €20.03

-41.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$46.12 €39.75

-38.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$42.00 €36.21

8.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$11.72 €10.11

46.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$14.99 €12.92

-55.64%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,319 €1,137

-39.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,311 €5,440

45.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$102 €88.3

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$30.00 €25.86

97.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$110 €95.2

25.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$162 €139

-36.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,496 €1,289

-28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,208 €1,041

-45.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,334 €2,012

-17.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,878 €1,619

-44.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$5,329 €4,594

-22.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$4,237 €3,652

-59.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$3,862 €3,329

-83.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.95

176.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,496 in Arnhem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 490% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $89.0 in Arnhem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $356 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

Medellin vs Arnhem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Arnhem differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $2,670 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 490% lower in Arnhem. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Arnhem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Arnhem. 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 $89.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,670 in Arnhem, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Arnhem 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 63% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.