Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bonn

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,313 in Bonn, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Bonn, Germany
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Bonn
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,313
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bonn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,313 in Bonn.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Bonn $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,463 in Bonn.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Bonn $3,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,614 in Bonn.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Bonn $4,614

Living in Medellin costs roughly 29% less than in Bonn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bonn 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$18.55 €16.63
-56.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$77.5 €69.4
-39.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$12.15 €10.89
-21.81%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$4.21 €3.77
-28.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$3.11 €2.78
-42.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$2.47 €2.21
-42.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$5.67 €5.08
-43.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$4.27 €3.82
34.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$1.45 €1.30
4.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$2.81 €2.52
-15.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$4.01 €3.60
-55.86%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$4.17 €3.73
-30.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$13.76 €12.33
-25.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$10.65 €9.54
-7.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$27.08 €24.27
-48.34%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$3.45 €3.09
15.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$2.65 €2.38
-41.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$2.26 €2.03
-3.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$5.24 €4.70
-58.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$2.24 €2.00
-12.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$1.71 €1.53
-7.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$1.65 €1.48
-30.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$1.31 €1.18
-5.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$9.51 €8.52
-58.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$5.97 €5.35
129.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$1.26 €1.13
31.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$1.79 €1.60
26.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$4.59 €4.11
-74.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
$71.1 €63.8
8.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$2.95 €2.64
-56.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$1.97 €1.77
4.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$31.22 €27.98
-72.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$2.29 €2.05
-41.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$33.3K €29.8K
2.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$37.9K €34.0K
-8.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$332 €297
-48.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$24.57 €22.01
-44.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$39.59 €35.48
-29.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$42.47 €38.06
2.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$32.47 €29.10
-47.06%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$15.74 €14.11
-56.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$690 €618
15.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$13.9K €12.5K
-34.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$75.3 €67.4
12.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$37.43 €33.54
54.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$103 €92.5
30.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$113 €101
-13.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$1,072 €960
12.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$925 €828
-30.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$2,113 €1,894
-4.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$1,601 €1,434
-36.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$6,131 €5,494
-31.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$4,368 €3,914
-56.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bonn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$3,480 €3,119
-81.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.96
176.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bonn: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Bonn
$925 44.1% $283
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Bonn
$374 25.9% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Bonn
$396 87.4% $185
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Bonn
$295 73.7% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Bonn
$148 12.4% $21
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Bonn
$102 9.4% $8.8
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Bonn
$74 28.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,072 in Bonn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bonn pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $77 in Bonn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $374 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇩🇪 Bonn
🕒 Local time
19:13 7:13 PM
01:13 1:13 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
335,913
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Bonn 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Bonn

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 Bonn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Bonn?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Bonn. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Bonn?
On paper, salaries run 81% 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 much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Bonn?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,072 in Bonn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and in Bonn?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $690 in Bonn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Bonn?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Bonn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Medellin or Bonn?
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.
Should I move to Medellin or to Bonn?
It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Bonn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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