Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Busan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Busan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,583 in Busan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,484 in Busan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,384 in Busan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 4% more expensive than in Busan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Busan 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.46 ₩10.0K

7.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$48.48 ₩65.0K

-0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.79 ₩9,111

38.73%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.67 ₩4,923

-19.89%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.79 ₩2,398

3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.43 ₩1,914

2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.73 ₩5,007

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.32 ₩5,794

32.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.26 ₩3,035

-36.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.21 ₩4,305

-25.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.02 ₩4,055

-43.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.67 ₩3,577

8.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.10 ₩14.9K

-9.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$10.24 ₩13.7K

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$25.22 ₩33.8K

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$10.95 ₩14.7K

-63.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$3.69 ₩4,953

-57.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$8.21 ₩11.0K

-73.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$6.03 ₩8,091

-61.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$5.81 ₩7,795

-65.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.30 ₩4,423

-54.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.77 ₩3,713

-56.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.33 ₩1,780

-3.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.38 ₩4,529

13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$18.68 ₩25.0K

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.36 ₩3,167

-27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.48 ₩4,666

-21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.14 ₩1,526

9.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$60.4 ₩81.0K

28.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.60 ₩4,831

-63.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.73 ₩978

197.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$16.95 ₩22.7K

-51.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.34 ₩1,791

1.49%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$29.5K ₩39.6M

-7.01%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$32.9K ₩44.1M

11.04%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$203 ₩272.2K

-16.89%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$36.96 ₩49.6K

-63.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$26.64 ₩35.7K

6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$62.8 ₩84.2K

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$10.08 ₩13.5K

70.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$12.12 ₩16.2K

-45.13%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$635 ₩851.7K

26.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-58.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$106 ₩142.0K

-17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$65.0 ₩87.1K

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$92.3 ₩123.7K

50.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$128 ₩171.1K

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$729 ₩977.2K

46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$368 ₩493.1K

77.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,334 ₩1.8M

44.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$704 ₩944.5K

48.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$9,949 ₩13.3M

-58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$6,382 ₩8.6M

-73.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,802 ₩3.8M

-76.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.22

159.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Busan: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $729 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 328% 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 Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $485 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 Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 328% lower in Busan. 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 $729 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 29% 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 $635 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,583 in Busan versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Busan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,583 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Busan 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.