Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Békéscsaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Békéscsaba: $1,125 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Békéscsaba
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Békéscsaba Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Békéscsaba

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Békéscsaba

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,125 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Békéscsaba $1,125

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,647 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Békéscsaba $1,647

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,169 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Békéscsaba $2,169

Medellin costs about 44% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Békéscsaba is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$9.00 Ft 2,906

-7.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$45.36 Ft 14.7K

3.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.51 Ft 1,779

67.70%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.22 Ft 718

37.39%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.38 Ft 446

30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.88 Ft 286

56.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.10 Ft 354

194.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.22 Ft 395

355.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.20 Ft 387

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.47 Ft 475

61.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.19 Ft 706

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.23 Ft 1,044

-8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.88 Ft 3,193

3.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.75 Ft 2,182

44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$14.52 Ft 4,692

-4.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.94 Ft 628

112.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.04 Ft 659

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.58 Ft 509

40.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.86 Ft 924

-20.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.00 Ft 323

99.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.01 Ft 326

65.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.06 Ft 344

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.48 Ft 155

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$7.97 Ft 2,575

-51.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$3.08 Ft 995

347.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.05 Ft 338

58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.13 Ft 690

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.27 Ft 410

-2.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.73 Ft 883

-53.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.33 Ft 431

61.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$6.28 Ft 2,028

33.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.85 Ft 599

-27.03%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$28.7K Ft 9.3M

21.23%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$34.6K Ft 11.2M

0.26%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$174 Ft 56.1K

-3.99%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$23.76 Ft 7,675

-42.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$21.51 Ft 6,949

35.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$33.92 Ft 11.0K

32.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$9.47 Ft 3,058

-26.40%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$548 Ft 176.9K

44.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$17.1K Ft 5.5M

-47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$99.1 Ft 32.0K

-11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$31.41 Ft 10.1K

85.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$61.5 Ft 19.9K

126.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$118 Ft 38.2K

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$425 Ft 137.5K

141.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$338 Ft 109.3K

83.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$557 Ft 179.9K

237.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$435 Ft 140.6K

131.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,526 Ft 493.1K

161.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,197 Ft 386.7K

42.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,398 Ft 451.8K

-52.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.45

69.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Békéscsaba

$338 30.1% 45.4% $281

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Békéscsaba

$229 20.3% 23.3% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Békéscsaba

$219 19.5% 4.5% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Békéscsaba

$140 12.4% 19.2% $33

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Békéscsaba

$132 11.8% 22.6% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Békéscsaba

$14 * 1.3% 84.8% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Békéscsaba

$53 4.7% 10.5% $6.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $425 in Békéscsaba. 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 111% higher in Békéscsaba, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $45.00 in Békéscsaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $229 – making Békéscsaba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇭🇺 Békéscsaba

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

54,460

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Békéscsaba 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Békéscsaba

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 Békéscsaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 44% more than Békéscsaba, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,687 in Békéscsaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Békéscsaba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $45.00 in Békéscsaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Békéscsaba, where all-in costs run around $1,125, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Békéscsaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Békéscsaba costs $1,125 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Békéscsaba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.