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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,463 in Elblag.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,095 in Elblag.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,727 in Elblag.

Living in Medellin is roughly 15% more expensive than in Elblag, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Elblag 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$12.59 zł 47.88

-36.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$28.33 zł 108

68.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.65 zł 29.10

29.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.71 zł 14.13

-15.63%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.24 zł 8.53

-14.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.71 zł 6.49

-11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.12 zł 11.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.94 zł 14.97

45.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.08 zł 4.12

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.68 zł 6.41

48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.99 zł 3.76

78.79%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.87 zł 14.70

-23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.07 zł 34.48

11.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.57 zł 28.77

33.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.13 zł 46.13

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.41 zł 5.35

193.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.79 zł 6.82

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.60 zł 6.10

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.35 zł 12.75

-32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.84 zł 3.19

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.42 zł 5.39

8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.22 zł 4.62

-4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.54 zł 2.07

142.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.31 zł 16.40

-9.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.77 zł 25.73

106.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.55 zł 2.10

216.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.47 zł 5.58

95.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.07 zł 4.07

14.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$25.61 zł 97.4

214.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.31 zł 8.80

-43.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.87 zł 3.31

151.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$10.57 zł 40.19

-17.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.58 zł 6.02

-13.29%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$32.4K zł 123.0K

-13.97%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.6K zł 101.2K

34.40%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$269 zł 1,024

-34.14%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$8.41 zł 31.99

65.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$14.80 zł 56.3

100.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$43.27 zł 165

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$22.78 zł 86.6

-24.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.56 zł 21.16

19.60%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$342 zł 1,301

137.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,976 zł 7,514

364.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$83.5 zł 317

7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$39.01 zł 148

51.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$91.9 zł 349

50.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$104 zł 394

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$624 zł 2,372

70.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$530 zł 2,016

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$970 zł 3,689

94.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$819 zł 3,113

25.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,250 zł 8,556

85.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,368 zł 9,006

-29.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,358 zł 5,165

-50.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.89

58.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Elblag: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $624 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 100% 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 $28.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $225 per month, with Elblag 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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elblag is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 100% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $624 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Elblag – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,463 in Elblag versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elblag but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Elblag the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elblag is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Elblag gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.