Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dunkirk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dunkirk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,289 in Dunkirk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,121 in Dunkirk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,952 in Dunkirk, rent included.

Medellin costs about 27% more than Dunkirk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Dunkirk is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$18.71 €16.13

-57.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$82.7 €71.3

-41.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.12 €7.86

3.29%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.67 €4.03

-37.04%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$4.77 €4.11

-61.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$2.80 €2.41

-47.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$4.56 €3.93

-29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.65 €4.87

1.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.56 €1.34

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.44 €2.10

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.89 €2.49

-41.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$4.74 €4.08

-39.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$24.04 €20.72

-58.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$14.87 €12.82

-32.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$22.25 €19.18

-36.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.51 €3.03

13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.37 €2.04

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.08 €2.66

-30.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.23 €3.65

-45.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.00 €1.73

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.54 €2.19

-40.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.91 €1.64

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.95 €0.82

34.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$14.90 €12.85

-74.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.06 €7.81

54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.82 €2.43

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.74 €3.22

-26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$9.40 €8.10

-86.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.50 €1.29

44.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$48.04 €41.41

-82.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.87 €1.62

-27.27%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$36.2K €31.2K

-24.09%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$36.3K €31.3K

0.63%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$257 €222

-34.43%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.79 €15.33

-23.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$30.36 €26.17

-6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.23 €25.20

56.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$15.33 €13.21

-56.62%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,877 €1,618

-57.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$26.7K €23.0K

-65.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$117 €100

-25.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$52.3 €45.05

13.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$123 €106

12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$163 €141

-37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$3,535 €3,047

-81.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.27

234.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dunkirk: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 440% higher in Dunkirk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $83.0 in Dunkirk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $419 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dunkirk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,933 in Dunkirk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,289 in Dunkirk. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $803 per month in Medellin and $1,877 in Dunkirk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dunkirk, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Dunkirk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dunkirk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dunkirk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.