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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,523 in Busan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,376 in Busan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $3,228 in Busan.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 34% less than in Busan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Busan is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.07 ₩10.7K

-15.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$37.26 ₩56.5K

-11.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.13 ₩9,288

15.66%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$4.15 ₩6,295

-58.80%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.86 ₩2,816

-40.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.38 ₩2,094

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$3.71 ₩5,624

-54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$5.76 ₩8,726

-46.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.33 ₩3,538

-53.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$3.55 ₩5,372

-64.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$3.03 ₩4,590

-54.46%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.96 ₩4,491

-26.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.38 ₩15.7K

-57.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$8.47 ₩12.8K

-33.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$27.30 ₩41.4K

-67.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$8.50 ₩12.9K

-72.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$3.25 ₩4,924

-67.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$7.53 ₩11.4K

-80.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$5.32 ₩8,062

-74.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$5.17 ₩7,838

-77.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.94 ₩4,461

-60.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$2.00 ₩3,030

-55.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.20 ₩1,812

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.28 ₩4,969

-30.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$16.73 ₩25.4K

-36.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.74 ₩2,633

-31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.46 ₩5,249

-28.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.11 ₩1,683

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$44.83 ₩67.9K

-7.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.50 ₩5,301

-58.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.79 ₩1,194

148.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$16.82 ₩25.5K

-53.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.23 ₩1,856

-22.76%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$27.4K ₩41.6M

-33.92%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$25.0K ₩37.8M

6.06%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$190 ₩288.4K

-56.79%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$49.90 ₩75.6K

-80.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$27.21 ₩41.2K

-10.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$52.0 ₩78.8K

-50.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$13.24 ₩20.1K

43.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.31 ₩17.1K

-65.25%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$497 ₩753.7K

-37.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$14.2K ₩21.5M

-57.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$105 ₩158.4K

-43.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$64.9 ₩98.3K

-50.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$88.2 ₩133.7K

16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$118 ₩178.6K

-7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$500 ₩756.9K

-4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$320 ₩485.1K

18.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,006 ₩1.5M

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$653 ₩989.5K

10.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$9,780 ₩14.8M

-71.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$7,054 ₩10.7M

-82.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$2,407 ₩3.6M

-78.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.22

218.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Busan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $500 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 370% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $450 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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Busan earns 370% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $500 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 8% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $497 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,523 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.