Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bethune Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bethune

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,781 in Bethune.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,727 in Bethune.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $3,673 in Bethune.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 42% less than in Bethune, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Bethune is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$17.83 €15.26

-66.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$70.3 €60.2

-53.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$13.83 €11.84

-47.94%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.23 €2.76

-47.37%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$2.96 €2.53

-62.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$2.03 €1.74

-64.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$6.82 €5.84

-75.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$5.74 €4.91

-45.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.36 €1.16

-22.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.79 €1.53

-30.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$3.04 €2.60

-54.28%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$3.99 €3.41

-43.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$22.26 €19.06

-80.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$13.32 €11.40

-56.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$23.42 €20.05

-62.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.06 €2.62

-26.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.16 €1.85

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.37 €2.03

-35.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$3.20 €2.74

-57.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.92 €1.64

-41.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.11 €1.81

-46.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.46 €1.25

-41.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.60 €0.51

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$13.68 €11.71

-82.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.28 €7.09

34.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.83 €1.57

-34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.67 €2.28

-11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.90 €1.62

-58.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$51.9 €44.42

-20.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.45 €2.09

-41.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.87 €1.60

2.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$40.49 €34.66

-80.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$2.02 €1.73

-53.47%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$38.2K €32.7K

-53.13%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$37.7K €32.3K

-28.97%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$182 €156

-53.89%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$22.79 €19.51

-57.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$28.82 €24.67

-16.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$37.03 €31.70

-30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$18.06 €15.46

5.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$10.31 €8.83

-61.98%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$574 €491

-46.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$8,452 €7,235

-29.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$89.0 €76.2

-34.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$36.61 €31.33

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$80.5 €68.9

24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$99.3 €85.0

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$772 €661

-36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$610 €522

-39.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,365 €1,168

-39.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,098 €940

-34.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$4,650 €3,980

-37.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$2,881 €2,466

-51.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$3,838 €3,285

-85.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.69

263.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bethune: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $772 in Bethune. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethune pays 604% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $70.0 in Bethune for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $371 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Bethune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Bethune. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bethune earns 604% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $772 in Bethune. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $574 in Bethune. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Bethune. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,781 in Bethune, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bethune. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bethune are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Bethune. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.