Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Elblag Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Elblag

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,579 in Elblag.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $2,196 in Elblag.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,814 in Elblag.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 37% less than in Elblag, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Elblag is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.4K

$10.98 zł 41.00

-46.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 102.7K

$29.86 zł 112

10.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.1K

$7.74 zł 28.93

-4.01%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,153

$4.16 zł 15.55

-60.34%

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

$1.10 COP 3,432

$2.14 zł 8.01

-48.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,433

$1.82 zł 6.79

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,356

$3.35 zł 12.52

-48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 9,904

$4.71 zł 17.60

-32.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,439

$1.15 zł 4.29

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,921

$1.38 zł 5.15

-8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,304

$1.76 zł 6.56

-21.59%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,788

$3.60 zł 13.45

-39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.0K

$10.33 zł 38.59

-56.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.0K

$7.19 zł 26.85

-19.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 27.9K

$14.39 zł 53.8

-37.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,232

$1.31 zł 4.88

77.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,318

$1.84 zł 6.87

-42.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,725

$2.03 zł 7.59

-25.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,226

$3.78 zł 14.11

-64.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,515

$1.04 zł 3.90

8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.18 zł 4.40

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,809

$1.47 zł 5.48

-38.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,794

$0.73 zł 2.72

23.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 6,961

$4.50 zł 16.80

-50.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 37.8K

$6.68 zł 24.94

81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,704

$1.38 zł 5.17

-13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,735

$1.94 zł 7.24

27.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,660

$1.11 zł 4.14

-23.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 129.7K

$25.55 zł 95.4

62.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,413

$2.70 zł 10.07

-47.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,078

$0.98 zł 3.67

98.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.6K

$13.78 zł 51.5

-42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,086

$1.77 zł 6.62

-44.07%

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

$17.6K COP 54.8M

$32.3K zł 120.9K

-45.59%

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

$26.8K COP 83.5M

$27.2K zł 101.8K

-1.61%

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

$83.0 COP 258.7K

$360 zł 1,343

-76.92%

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

$9.70 COP 30.2K

$10.12 zł 37.82

-4.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 73.3K

$14.86 zł 55.5

58.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 78.7K

$35.03 zł 131

-27.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 59.5K

$13.40 zł 50.1

42.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.3K

$6.32 zł 23.62

-37.50%

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

$316 COP 984.0K

$584 zł 2,181

-45.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.6M

$2,080 zł 7,770

187.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 187.0K

$99.5 zł 372

-39.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 99.1K

$48.03 zł 179

-33.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 316.8K

$93.4 zł 349

8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 334.8K

$110 zł 410

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$691 zł 2,582

-31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$497 zł 1,856

-24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.6M

$994 zł 3,715

-14.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.2M

$814 zł 3,042

-11.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.2M

$2,224 zł 8,309

46.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$2,251 zł 8,410

-36.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 1.9M

$1,362 zł 5,089

-54.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

91.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Elblag: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $691 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 118% 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 $30.00 in Elblag. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $246, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Elblag. 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: $475 in Medellin versus $691 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $30.00 in Elblag. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,579 in Elblag, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Elblag. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medellin and Elblag 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 57% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.