Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bensheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,036 in Bensheim, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Bensheim, Germany
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Bensheim
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,036
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bensheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,036 in Bensheim.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Bensheim $2,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $3,068 in Bensheim.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Bensheim $3,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $4,101 in Bensheim.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Bensheim $4,101

Living in Medellin costs roughly 17% less than in Bensheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Bensheim 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$16.62 €14.86
-49.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.2K
$80.0 €71.5
-41.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$13.63 €12.19
-30.52%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$3.98 €3.56
-21.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,702
$3.55 €3.17
-50.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,599
$3.38 €3.02
-57.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$5.16 €4.62
-38.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$4.24 €3.79
34.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,948
$1.45 €1.30
5.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$2.18 €1.95
5.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,279
$3.91 €3.50
-50.38%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,900
$3.83 €3.42
-19.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$13.59 €12.15
-26.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$10.42 €9.32
0.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$26.61 €23.79
-47.54%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.36 €3.00
20.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,934
$2.23 €2.00
-31.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,794
$1.92 €1.72
9.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,405
$3.67 €3.28
-37.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,810
$1.21 €1.09
74.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,518
$1.27 €1.13
34.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,778
$1.53 €1.37
-23.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,101
$1.14 €1.02
38.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$9.87 €8.83
-60.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$5.45 €4.87
157.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,688
$1.11 €0.99
58.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,756
$1.53 €1.37
77.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,809
$3.41 €3.05
-65.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.3K
$69.3 €62.0
10.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,833
$4.13 €3.69
-56.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,874
$2.21 €1.97
-3.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$36.56 €32.69
-77.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,117
$2.12 €1.89
-39.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$33.6K €30.1K
2.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$38.9K €34.8K
-12.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.8K
$358 €320
-50.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$26.78 €23.95
-48.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$49.57 €44.33
-37.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$39.58 €35.40
5.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$26.74 €23.91
-37.17%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$14.14 €12.65
-47.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$534 €477
47.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$18.3K €16.3K
-32.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.7K
$83.3 €74.5
3.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.3K
$34.71 €31.04
70.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.6K
$98.8 €88.3
40.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.0K
$134 €120
-26.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$786 €702
70.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$653 €584
2.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,495 €1,337
32.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,146 €1,024
-9.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$4,741 €4,240
-13.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$3,372 €3,015
-42.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bensheim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$4,507 €4,030
-85.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.62
202.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Bensheim
$653 2.2% $15
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Bensheim
$342 11.1% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Bensheim
$434 95.2% $212
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Bensheim
$284 64.3% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Bensheim
$158 8.2% $14
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Bensheim
$98 5% $4.7
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Bensheim
$68 19.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $786 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays about 7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $80 in Bensheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $342 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇩🇪 Bensheim
🕒 Local time
21:15 9:15 PM
03:15 3:15 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
41,124
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Bensheim 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Bensheim

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 Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Bensheim?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,036 in Bensheim, so Medellin is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Bensheim?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $786 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Bensheim?
Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $534 in Bensheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bensheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $2,500 go in Medellin compared to Bensheim?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Bensheim?
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.
How do I decide between Medellin and Bensheim?
It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Bensheim on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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