Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $964 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bansko

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 Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $964 in Bansko, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Bansko $964

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,471 in Bansko, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Bansko $1,471

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,978 in Bansko, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Bansko $1,978

Medellin costs about 70% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$8.34 BGN 14.68

-3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$45.11 BGN 79.4

4.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.14 BGN 16.08

3.94%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.31 BGN 4.06

30.30%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.57 BGN 2.76

14.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.87 BGN 1.53

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.70 BGN 2.99

87.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.02 BGN 3.56

184.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.74 BGN 3.06

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.80 BGN 1.40

197.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.47 BGN 2.58

20.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$2.24 BGN 3.95

29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$9.50 BGN 16.73

7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$6.38 BGN 11.22

54.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$8.48 BGN 14.93

64.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.25 BGN 2.20

217.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.72 BGN 3.02

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.75 BGN 3.08

24.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.97 BGN 3.46

10.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.99 BGN 1.75

97.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.72 BGN 1.27

120.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.59 BGN 1.04

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.55 BGN 0.97

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.35 BGN 5.90

18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$5.02 BGN 8.84

172.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.08 BGN 1.91

53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.69 BGN 2.97

33.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.82 BGN 1.44

42.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$26.75 BGN 47.09

189.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.30 BGN 2.28

-2.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.61 BGN 1.07

236.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$9.97 BGN 17.55

-14.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-10.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$28.9K BGN 51.0K

17.68%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$21.2K BGN 37.3K

63.73%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$93.8 BGN 165

80.90%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$14.81 BGN 26.06

-8.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$12.13 BGN 21.34

131.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$32.80 BGN 57.7

33.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$8.57 BGN 15.08

100.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$5.51 BGN 9.70

25.41%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$228 BGN 402

248.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$2,259 BGN 3,977

303.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$30.12 BGN 53.0

181.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$19.45 BGN 34.24

197.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$46.08 BGN 81.1

192.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$48.97 BGN 86.2

99.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$522 BGN 918

131.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$364 BGN 641

76.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$629 BGN 1,107

222.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$568 BGN 1,000

78.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$1,159 BGN 2,041

259.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$955 BGN 1,681

100.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,669 BGN 2,938

-60.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.99

265.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bansko

$364 37.8% 43.2% $277

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bansko

$192 19.9% 35.5% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bansko

$121 12.5% 42.9% $91

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bansko

$144 15% 15% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bansko

$65 6.8% 61.5% $104

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bansko

$34 3.6% 63.2% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 23.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $522 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bansko are about 2.5 times higher, 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 $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

13:33 1:33 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bansko 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $964 in Bansko – Bansko comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,446 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $45 in Bansko. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $964 in Bansko. That makes Bansko about 41% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $964 in Bansko to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Bansko is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.