Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balbriggan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balbriggan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,730 in Balbriggan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $4,044 in Balbriggan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $5,358 in Balbriggan.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 38% less than in Balbriggan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Balbriggan 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$24.92 €21.73

-67.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$105 €91.6

-54.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$13.79 €12.02

-28.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$5.05 €4.40

-38.02%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.96 €2.58

-35.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$2.28 €1.99

-33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$8.11 €7.07

-61.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$7.48 €6.52

-23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.69 €1.47

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.47 €2.15

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.07 €1.80

-14.49%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.24 €2.82

-8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.02 €8.74

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$12.87 €11.22

-21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$16.85 €14.69

-15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.03 €2.64

36.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.30 €2.01

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.88 €2.51

-21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$5.48 €4.77

-58.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.01 €1.75

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.52 €1.32

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.37 €1.20

-14.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$2.00 €1.74

-34.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$22.09 €19.25

-82.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$14.01 €12.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.83 €2.47

-38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.66 €2.32

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$2.53 €2.21

-51.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$109 €95.1

-26.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.35 €4.67

-75.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.59 €1.39

37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$38.21 €33.31

-77.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.22 €1.93

-38.29%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$40.9K €35.7K

-31.98%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$40.3K €35.1K

-11.24%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$176 €154

0.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$17.27 €15.05

-19.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$46.17 €40.25

-35.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$54.6 €47.56

-17.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$13.60 €11.85

-51.10%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$1,318 €1,149

-38.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,482 €4,778

67.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$113 €98.5

-20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$29.34 €25.57

100.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$64.1 €55.9

115.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$130 €113

-21.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,647 €1,436

-35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,409 €1,229

-52.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,530 €2,205

-25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$2,237 €1,950

-54.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,394 €2,087

-71.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.79

188.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Balbriggan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,647 in Balbriggan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 253% 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 $105 in Balbriggan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $362 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 Balbriggan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Balbriggan differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $2,730 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 253% lower in Balbriggan. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,647 in Balbriggan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Balbriggan. 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 $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,730 in Balbriggan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.