Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bielsko-biala Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bielsko-biala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,518 in Bielsko-biala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,232 in Bielsko-biala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,946 in Bielsko-biala.

Living in Medellin is roughly 8% more expensive than in Bielsko-biala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Bielsko-biala 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.08 zł 37.53

-20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$48.11 zł 179

0.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.61 zł 35.79

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.86 zł 14.35

-23.83%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.24 zł 8.33

-16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.38 zł 5.14

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$4.03 zł 15.00

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.92 zł 14.60

45.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.08 zł 4.01

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.17 zł 4.36

105.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.45 zł 5.41

17.24%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.06 zł 11.39

-5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.63 zł 32.15

16.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.11 zł 22.74

63.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.19 zł 37.93

39.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.21 zł 4.52

228.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.75 zł 6.52

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.22 zł 8.28

-3.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.97 zł 7.33

16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.88 zł 3.26

127.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.79 zł 2.94

91.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.09 zł 4.07

10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.67 zł 2.50

91.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.34 zł 19.89

-28.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$6.89 zł 25.64

103.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.20 zł 4.47

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.70 zł 6.35

61.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.32 zł 4.92

-5.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$37.22 zł 139

109.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.63 zł 6.06

-19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.56 zł 2.09

287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.82 zł 36.56

-15.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.66 zł 6.17

-18.07%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$31.6K zł 117.7K

-13.08%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.9K zł 103.8K

31.05%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$313 zł 1,167

-46.16%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.28 zł 34.55

46.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$18.53 zł 69.0

52.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$44.16 zł 164

3.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$48.02 zł 179

-64.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.62 zł 28.38

-12.73%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$299 zł 1,113

168.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$2,601 zł 9,684

253.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$77.6 zł 289

12.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$42.37 zł 158

40.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$94.8 zł 353

46.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$102 zł 381

-0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$629 zł 2,342

70.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$519 zł 1,931

25.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,049 zł 3,905

83.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$912 zł 3,396

14.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,539 zł 9,453

62.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,111 zł 7,862

-19.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,464 zł 5,451

-55.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.87

59.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bielsko-biala: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $629 in Bielsko-biala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bielsko-biala pays 124% 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 $48.00 in Bielsko-biala. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $203, with Bielsko-biala cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bielsko-biala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bielsko-biala differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,518 including rent). Bielsko-biala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 124% lower in Bielsko-biala. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $629 in Bielsko-biala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bielsko-biala runs roughly 109% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $299 in Bielsko-biala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,518 in Bielsko-biala versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bielsko-biala but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bielsko-biala 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bielsko-biala 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 Bielsko-biala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.