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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,047 in Genk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $3,001 in Genk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $3,954 in Genk.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Genk is 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$23.35 €20.36

-74.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$92.4 €80.5

-64.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$11.62 €10.13

-36.06%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$3.97 €3.46

-58.44%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$3.16 €2.76

-65.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$3.01 €2.62

-74.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$5.96 €5.19

-71.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$5.89 €5.14

-46.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$1.01 €0.88

8.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$2.87 €2.50

-56.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$2.84 €2.47

-51.41%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$4.33 €3.78

-49.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$9.45 €8.24

-52.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$8.35 €7.28

-30.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$11.45 €9.98

-21.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.49 €2.17

-6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$2.55 €2.22

-58.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$2.70 €2.35

-43.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$3.16 €2.76

-56.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$2.69 €2.34

-57.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$2.34 €2.04

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$1.66 €1.45

-45.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$1.16 €1.01

-22.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$12.28 €10.70

-81.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$7.21 €6.28

68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$1.93 €1.68

-38.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$2.47 €2.15

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$3.51 €3.06

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$57.8 €50.4

-27.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$7.47 €6.51

-80.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$2.51 €2.19

-22.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$35.28 €30.76

-77.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.85 €1.61

-46.49%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$23.2K €20.3K

-24.29%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$28.8K €25.1K

-7.10%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$246 €214

-66.23%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$21.02 €18.33

-53.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$57.4 €50.0

-58.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$38.55 €33.61

-34.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$17.14 €14.94

11.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$14.99 €13.07

-73.65%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$287 €250

10.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$13.5K €11.7K

-55.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$106 €92.2

-43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$49.92 €43.52

-36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$87.7 €76.5

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$109 €95.3

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$946 €825

-49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$760 €663

-50.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,354 €1,181

-37.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$1,123 €979

-35.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$2,588 €2,256

26.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$2,003 €1,746

-28.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$2,278 €1,986

-72.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.65

267.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Genk: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $946 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Genk pays 265% 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 $92.0 in Genk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $289 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 Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 265% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $946 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Genk. 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 $92.0 in Genk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,047 in Genk, a $1,500 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 104% less than in Genk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.