Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bourges

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,929 in Bourges, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Bourges
🇫🇷 France
$1,929
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bourges

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,929 in Bourges.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Bourges $1,929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $3,000 in Bourges.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Bourges $3,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $4,070 in Bourges.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Bourges $4,070

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% less than in Bourges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bourges 42% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$16.74 €14.89
-50.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$78.4 €69.7
-40.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$13.26 €11.79
-30.32%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$5.02 €4.47
-39.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$4.53 €4.03
-60.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$2.73 €2.43
-49.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$8.02 €7.13
-59.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$6.78 €6.03
-17.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.10 €0.98
36.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$2.53 €2.25
-6.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$2.22 €1.97
-23.42%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$4.39 €3.91
-32.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$21.83 €19.42
-53.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$13.84 €12.31
-29.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$21.72 €19.32
-36.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$3.23 €2.87
27.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$2.18 €1.94
-29.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$2.92 €2.60
-23.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$4.33 €3.85
-47.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.83 €1.63
8.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$2.53 €2.25
-33.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.90 €1.69
-37.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.90 €0.80
37.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$14.82 €13.18
-73.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$8.82 €7.85
56.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$2.69 €2.39
-38.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$3.51 €3.12
-31.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$2.00 €1.78
-38.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$48.70 €43.32
60.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$8.99 €8.00
-85.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$1.44 €1.28
49.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$45.69 €40.64
-81.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$2.27 €2.02
-40.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$34.3K €30.5K
1.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$38.2K €33.9K
-9.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$243 €216
-31.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$7.90 €7.03
72.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$29.39 €26.14
-0.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$34.40 €30.60
31.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$14.30 €12.72
-51.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$1,780 €1,583
-55.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$26.0K €23.1K
-65.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$109 €96.8
-19.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$52.5 €46.71
10.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$119 €106
16.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$159 €141
-37.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$630 €560
63.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$607 €540
2.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$1,168 €1,039
61.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$1,129 €1,004
-10.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$4,419 €3,931
-9.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$3,123 €2,778
-45.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bourges
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$2,768 €2,462
-76.03%
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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bourges: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Bourges
$607 2% $13
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Bourges
$392 31.7% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Bourges
$280 33.7% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Bourges
$198 14.5% $25
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Bourges
$317 85.4% $146
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Bourges
$73 23.4% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Bourges
$63 6.7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $630 in Bourges. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 317% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $78.0 in Bourges for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $392 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇫🇷 Bourges
🕒 Local time
10:15 10:15 AM
17:15 5:15 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
63,702
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Bourges 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Bourges

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 Bourges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Bourges?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Bourges. 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 Bourges?
On paper, salaries run 317% lower in Bourges. 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 Bourges?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $630 in Bourges. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Bourges?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $78.0 in Bourges. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Bourges?
All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,929 in Bourges – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Bourges?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,929 in Bourges, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bourges. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Bourges?
Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.
How safe is Medellin compared to Bourges?
Safety-wise, Medellin and Bourges are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Bourges. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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