Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bursa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bursa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,078 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,700 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,322 in Bursa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than in Bursa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bursa is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$8.46 ₺411

-4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$31.13 ₺1,512

55.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.18 ₺349

31.20%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.39 ₺165

-13.27%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.96 ₺46.67

93.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.37 ₺18.06

294.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.25 ₺109

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.03 ₺147

88.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.97 ₺47.22

48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.84 ₺40.72

185.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.29 ₺111

-25.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.29 ₺111

26.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.25 ₺498

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.33 ₺259

87.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$19.13 ₺929

-25.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.77 ₺85.8

124.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.04 ₺98.9

-22.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.04 ₺50.7

106.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.31 ₺63.7

75.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.58 ₺27.94

244.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.42 ₺20.34

259.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.74 ₺36.08

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.72 ₺35.05

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.03 ₺98.4

89.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.20 ₺592

14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.95 ₺94.8

-12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.16 ₺105

26.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.01 ₺49.14

23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$36.90 ₺1,792

111.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.06 ₺51.4

23.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.85 ₺41.19

155.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.22 ₺350

14.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.28 ₺62.2

6.25%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$43.1K ₺2.1M

-36.25%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-11.93%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$80.2 ₺3,893

110.45%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.93 ₺531

24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$13.72 ₺666

106.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$71.3 ₺3,460

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$22.82 ₺1,108

-24.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.30 ₺306

5.56%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$576 ₺28.0K

39.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.6K ₺561.1K

-20.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$44.10 ₺2,141

98.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$36.20 ₺1,757

64.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$83.4 ₺4,050

66.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$103 ₺5,004

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$397 ₺19.3K

169.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$317 ₺15.4K

105.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$731 ₺35.5K

163.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$657 ₺31.9K

59.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,343 ₺65.2K

207.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,331 ₺64.6K

27.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,026 ₺49.8K

-36.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

42.67

-74.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bursa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $397 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 57% 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 $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $236 per month, with Bursa 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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Bursa. 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 $397 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Bursa versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.