Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Diest Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Diest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,082 in Diest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $3,079 in Diest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $4,075 in Diest.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 51% less than in Diest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Diest is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$23.35 €20.12

-74.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$94.2 €81.2

-64.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$12.20 €10.52

-40.74%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.59 €3.09

-54.60%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$3.32 €2.86

-67.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$3.09 €2.66

-76.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$5.52 €4.76

-68.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$4.76 €4.10

-32.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.28 €1.10

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.75 €2.37

-53.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$2.52 €2.17

-47.62%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$3.97 €3.42

-42.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$17.29 €14.90

-74.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$11.47 €9.89

-48.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$21.71 €18.70

-60.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.60 €2.24

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.41 €2.08

-55.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.25 €1.93

-32.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.86 €2.46

-50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.17 €1.87

-46.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.12 €1.82

-44.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.40 €1.21

-36.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.95 €0.82

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$12.67 €10.92

-82.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.15 €7.03

35.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.72 €1.48

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.92 €1.66

23.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$2.87 €2.48

-70.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$57.7 €49.69

-27.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$5.91 €5.09

-76.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$2.54 €2.19

-25.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$38.00 €32.74

-79.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.85 €1.59

-45.41%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$33.3K €28.7K

-47.17%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$31.5K €27.2K

-15.92%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$206 €178

-59.43%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$25.22 €21.73

-62.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$50.6 €43.58

-52.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$39.03 €33.63

-35.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$16.64 €14.34

15.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$15.17 €13.07

-72.97%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$619 €533

-49.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$13.4K €11.5K

-55.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$108 €93.1

-46.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$49.11 €42.31

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$106 €91.3

-6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$158 €136

-31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$885 €762

-45.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$755 €650

-49.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,357 €1,169

-38.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$1,102 €949

-34.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$3,963 €3,414

-28.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$2,998 €2,583

-59.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$2,135 €1,839

-74.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.42

292.69%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Diest: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $885 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Diest pays 295% 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 $94.0 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $348 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 Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Diest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Diest earns 295% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $885 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 37% less than in Diest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $619 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,082 in Diest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Diest. 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 $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Diest 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 105% less than in Diest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.