Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bethlehem

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethlehem: $1,593 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem
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Bethlehem Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bethlehem

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bethlehem

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,593 in Bethlehem, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Bethlehem $1,593

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,473 in Bethlehem, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Bethlehem $2,473

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,353 in Bethlehem, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Bethlehem $3,353

Medellin costs about 3% more than Bethlehem.

Both Medellin and Bethlehem sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Bethlehem by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.16 ₪35.02

-27.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$49.06 ₪154

-4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$13.91 ₪43.66

-31.70%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$4.48 ₪14.06

-32.81%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.32 ₪4.14

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.01 ₪3.17

39.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$6.14 ₪19.28

-48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$8.19 ₪25.70

-29.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.99 ₪6.25

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.92 ₪2.88

158.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.23 ₪6.99

-20.63%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.62 ₪8.23

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.69 ₪33.56

-4.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$9.80 ₪30.75

0.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$20.40 ₪64.0

-31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.67 ₪11.52

8.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.05 ₪6.42

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.59 ₪4.98

37.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.36 ₪7.41

-7.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.50 ₪4.70

30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.59 ₪4.99

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.64 ₪5.14

-29.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.00 ₪3.13

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$10.02 ₪31.43

-60.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$14.48 ₪45.44

-5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.22 ₪6.97

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.22 ₪6.96

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$2.44 ₪7.67

-52.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$144 ₪451

-46.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.18 ₪9.99

-60.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$3.33 ₪10.45

-38.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.20 ₪10.05

167.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.37 ₪7.43

-43.04%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$40.9K ₪128.4K

-16.73%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$48.3K ₪151.5K

-28.18%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$195 ₪613

-13.19%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$39.21 ₪123

-65.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$32.23 ₪101

-12.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$65.7 ₪206

-33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$32.15 ₪101

-46.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.32 ₪26.09

-16.95%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$98.8 ₪310

706.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,843 ₪30.9K

-7.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$49.10 ₪154

72.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$97.0 ₪304

-40.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$112 ₪352

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$164 ₪515

-40.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$481 ₪1,509

151.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$329 ₪1,032

95.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$895 ₪2,809

126.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$639 ₪2,006

58.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,618 ₪5,078

157.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,125 ₪3,532

69.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,304 ₪4,093

-49.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bethlehem

$329 20.7% 48.7% $313

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bethlehem

$310 19.5% 4.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bethlehem

$267 16.8% 26.3% $56

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bethlehem

$241 15.1% 42.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bethlehem

$190 11.9% 12.4% $21

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bethlehem

$173 10.9% 85.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bethlehem

$82 5.2% 43.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $481 in Bethlehem. 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 99% higher in Bethlehem, 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 $49 in Bethlehem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $310 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇸 Bethlehem

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

16:52 4:52 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

29,019

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.285 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.285 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Bethlehem 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bethlehem

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 Bethlehem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,389 in Bethlehem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bethlehem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,593 in Bethlehem. That makes Bethlehem about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,593 in Bethlehem. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bethlehem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.