Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bečej

For one person, living is cheaper in Bečej: $843 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bečej
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Bečej Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Bečej

🇷🇸 Serbia

$843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bečej

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $843 in Bečej.

Medellin $1,692
Bečej $843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,250 in Bečej.

Medellin $2,471
Bečej $1,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,657 in Bečej.

Medellin $3,249
Bečej $1,657

Living in Medellin is roughly 101% more expensive than in Bečej, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Bečej is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.51 RSD 680

28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$33.92 RSD 3,541

37.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$9.41 RSD 982

0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.12 RSD 117

179.46%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$1.47 RSD 153

20.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.78 RSD 81.8

82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.45 RSD 151

117.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.84 RSD 193

209.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.97 RSD 101

57.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$1.11 RSD 116

106.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$1.47 RSD 154

31.97%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$2.02 RSD 211

51.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$9.13 RSD 953

9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.79 RSD 709

53.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$6.93 RSD 723

101.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$0.94 RSD 97.9

330.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.75 RSD 183

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.54 RSD 161

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.93 RSD 201

18.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$0.66 RSD 68.8

219.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.32 RSD 32.98

434.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.70 RSD 73.3

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.60 RSD 62.4

163.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$3.87 RSD 404

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$3.92 RSD 409

258.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$0.70 RSD 73.2

151.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$0.92 RSD 95.8

194.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.81 RSD 84.8

45.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.95 RSD 204

-7.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.79 RSD 82.6

169.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$9.63 RSD 1,005

-15.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.88 RSD 197

-31.91%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

11.70%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$23.8K RSD 2.5M

43.65%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$62.7 RSD 6,541

183.64%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$9.56 RSD 998

45.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$22.96 RSD 2,397

33.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$25.12 RSD 2,622

66.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$8.31 RSD 867

-10.11%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$454 RSD 47.4K

74.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$12.4K RSD 1.3M

-0.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$112 RSD 11.7K

-23.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$45.87 RSD 4,788

29.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$62.4 RSD 6,516

121.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$113 RSD 11.8K

-12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$308 RSD 32.1K

335.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$260 RSD 27.1K

156.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$429 RSD 44.7K

360.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$315 RSD 32.9K

228.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,189 RSD 228.5K

87.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,798 RSD 187.7K

7.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$516 RSD 53.9K

25.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.5

143.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bečej: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Bečej

$260 30.8% 61% $407

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Bečej

$174 20.6% 43.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Bečej

$95 11.3% 57.2% $127

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Bečej

$114 13.5% 34.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Bečej

$150 17.8% 12.9% $22

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Bečej

$9.2 * 1.1% 90.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Bečej

$42 5% 26.6% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $308 in Bečej. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 25% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $34 in Bečej for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $174 per month, with Bečej cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇸 Bečej

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

05:04 5:04 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,492

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 118 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.51 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bečej 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bečej

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 Bečej: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bečej is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $308 in Bečej. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $843 in Bečej – Bečej is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $843 in Bečej versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bečej but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bečej 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bečej wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.