Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Genk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Genk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,879 in Genk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,871 in Genk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,863 in Genk.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 13% less than in Genk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Genk 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$23.06 €19.88

-65.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$92.2 €79.5

-47.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$14.22 €12.26

-33.76%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$4.25 €3.66

-30.82%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$2.63 €2.27

-29.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$2.37 €2.04

-38.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$4.75 €4.09

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.11 €3.54

38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.03 €0.88

39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$2.82 €2.44

-14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$2.24 €1.93

-24.11%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$3.79 €3.27

-23.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$9.17 €7.91

9.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.67 €6.62

29.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.83 €10.20

20.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.50 €2.16

59.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$2.53 €2.18

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$2.68 €2.31

-19.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$3.18 €2.74

-27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$2.47 €2.13

-19.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$2.03 €1.75

-25.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.59 €1.37

-24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$1.05 €0.91

21.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$13.33 €11.50

-71.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.72 €6.66

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.72 €1.48

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$1.15 €0.99

138.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$3.43 €2.96

-63.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$58.5 €50.4

33.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$5.78 €4.99

-77.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$2.75 €2.37

-21.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$46.31 €39.94

-82.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.97 €1.70

-30.96%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$23.1K €19.9K

19.02%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$28.3K €24.4K

29.24%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$175 €151

-3.80%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$20.95 €18.06

-35.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$42.79 €36.90

-33.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$38.93 €33.57

17.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$29.59 €25.52

-41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$15.87 €13.69

-58.10%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$287 €248

179.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$35.2K €30.3K

-73.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$114 €97.9

-23.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$47.76 €41.18

24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$80.4 €69.4

72.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$108 €93.4

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$975 €840

9.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$723 €624

-9.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,357 €1,170

41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,122 €968

-6.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,716 €2,342

51.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,984 €1,711

-14.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,364 €2,038

-72.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.46

216.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Genk: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $975 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Genk pays 261% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $92.0 in Genk. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $275, with Genk 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 Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 261% lower in Genk. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $975 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Genk pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $92.0 in Genk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,879 in Genk, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Genk. 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 Genk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Genk 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 14% less than in Genk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.