Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gulbene Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gulbene

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $1,443 in Gulbene, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $2,185 in Gulbene, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $2,927 in Gulbene, rent included.

Medellin is about 29% cheaper than Gulbene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 23% below the global median, while Gulbene is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 19.8K

$17.50 €15.34

-64.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 104.8K

$70.7 €62.0

-53.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.6K

$9.13 €8.01

-19.61%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,527

$3.58 €3.14

-51.96%

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

$1.05 COP 3,376

$1.77 €1.55

-40.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,482

$1.37 €1.20

-43.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,417

$5.62 €4.93

-69.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$5.66 €4.97

-43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,379

$1.37 €1.20

-23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,181

$1.70 €1.49

-23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,485

$3.00 €2.63

-53.33%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,956

$3.09 €2.71

-30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.1K

$12.15 €10.65

-63.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 18.9K

$7.71 €6.76

-23.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$11.81 €10.35

-26.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,330

$1.73 €1.52

31.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,557

$1.85 €1.62

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,918

$2.56 €2.25

-40.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,353

$3.53 €3.10

-61.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,627

$1.08 €0.95

4.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,644

$1.06 €0.93

6.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,717

$1.78 €1.56

-52.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,937

$0.88 €0.77

3.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,531

$5.86 €5.13

-60.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 39.7K

$8.06 €7.06

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,859

$1.85 €1.62

-35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,000

$2.29 €2.01

8.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,692

$0.96 €0.84

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 130.4K

$36.15 €31.70

12.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,563

$2.97 €2.60

-52.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,155

$0.85 €0.75

125.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.6K

$14.15 €12.41

-45.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,181

$1.81 €1.59

-45.30%

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

$18.0K COP 57.9M

$30.5K €26.8K

-40.93%

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

$26.6K COP 85.6M

$31.8K €27.9K

-16.38%

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

$80.8 COP 259.7K

$326 €286

-75.19%

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

$9.95 COP 32.0K

$19.70 €17.27

-49.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 77.7K

$20.43 €17.91

18.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 80.6K

$52.0 €45.59

-51.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 61.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 12.8K

$11.53 €10.11

-65.48%

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

$305 COP 980.7K

$555 €487

-45.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.5M

$15.3K €13.4K

-60.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 186.8K

$89.7 €78.7

-35.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 103.5K

$46.84 €41.07

-31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.7K

$97.5 €85.5

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 346.3K

$133 €117

-19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$364 €319

31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$256 €224

47.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$765 €671

10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.3M

$452 €396

61.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.63

190.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Gulbene: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $364 in Gulbene. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $71.0 in Gulbene. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $266 – 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 Gulbene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,031 in Medellin, $1,443 in Gulbene – roughly 40% apart. Gulbene costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $2,164 in Gulbene. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Gulbene, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $71.0 in Gulbene. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Gulbene at $1,443. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gulbene it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,031 in Medellin to $1,443 in Gulbene. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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