Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Biella Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Biella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,503 in Biella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,324 in Biella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,146 in Biella.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than in Biella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Biella 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$17.66 €15.38

-54.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$68.3 €59.5

-29.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$11.19 €9.75

-11.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.89 €1.65

65.61%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$3.11 €2.71

-38.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.39 €1.21

8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$5.14 €4.48

-39.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.64 €4.04

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.27 €1.11

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.29 €2.00

8.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.06 €2.66

-42.16%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.90 €3.40

-24.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$14.63 €12.75

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$9.51 €8.28

6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$21.76 €18.96

-34.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.17 €2.76

30.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.25 €1.96

-28.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.97 €1.72

14.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.87 €4.25

-53.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.93 €1.68

5.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.86 €1.62

-17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.55 €1.35

-24.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.37 €0.32

254.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$7.03 €6.13

-44.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$7.13 €6.21

96.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.07 €1.80

-15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.65 €2.31

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$2.01 €1.75

-39.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$38.32 €33.39

110.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$14.98 €13.05

-91.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.70 €1.48

28.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$29.80 €25.96

-70.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$2.02 €1.76

-32.18%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$37.8K €32.9K

-26.30%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$35.8K €31.2K

-0.06%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$200 €174

-11.30%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$8.29 €7.22

67.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$28.30 €24.66

5.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$69.9 €60.9

-35.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$25.22 €21.97

-32.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$9.02 €7.86

-26.27%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$721 €628

12.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$10.5K €9,122

-12.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$87.8 €76.5

1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$42.66 €37.17

38.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$86.7 €75.5

59.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$113 €98.6

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$426 €371

149.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$373 €325

77.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$707 €616

166.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$578 €504

77.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,707 €1,487

145.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$898 €783

86.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,926 €1,678

-64.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.4

221.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Biella: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $426 in Biella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 184% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $68.0 in Biella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $332 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 Biella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Biella differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,503 including rent). Biella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 184% lower in Biella. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $426 in Biella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $721 in Biella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,503 in Biella versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Biella but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Biella 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.

Expats usually find Biella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.