Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,516 in Istanbul, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Istanbul $1,516

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,356 in Istanbul, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Istanbul $2,356

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,197 in Istanbul, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Istanbul $3,197

Medellin costs about 8% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Istanbul sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Istanbul by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.59 ₺579

-30.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$54.7 ₺2,732

-13.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.39 ₺469

1.17%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$4.23 ₺211

-28.84%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.72 ₺85.9

4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.57 ₺28.33

147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.65 ₺232

-31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.84 ₺342

-15.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.20 ₺60.1

25.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.94 ₺47.09

153.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.24 ₺112

-20.98%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.42 ₺121

19.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.24 ₺511

-0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.38 ₺269

83.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$21.19 ₺1,059

-33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.89 ₺94.5

110.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.22 ₺111

-30.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.26 ₺62.9

73.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.81 ₺90.2

20.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.70 ₺34.93

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.64 ₺32.21

148.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.22 ₺61.0

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.55 ₺27.42

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.32 ₺116

70.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$13.31 ₺665

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.33 ₺116

-28.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.46 ₺173

-34.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.91 ₺45.29

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$66.3 ₺3,314

16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.29 ₺64.3

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.86 ₺42.77

138.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$11.09 ₺554

-22.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.42 ₺70.9

-4.93%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-30.74%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-19.00%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$87.7 ₺4,384

93.36%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$11.28 ₺563

20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$15.89 ₺794

76.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$75.9 ₺3,792

-42.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$23.04 ₺1,151

-25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.20 ₺410

-15.73%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,028 ₺51.4K

-22.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-64.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$53.3 ₺2,664

58.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$39.69 ₺1,983

46.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$99.8 ₺4,985

35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$93.5 ₺4,673

4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,003 ₺50.1K

20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$628 ₺31.4K

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,963 ₺98.1K

3.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,122 ₺56.0K

-9.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,075 ₺153.6K

35.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,753 ₺87.6K

8.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,180 ₺58.9K

-44.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

40.69

-73.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 2.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Istanbul

$258 17% 13.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 45.6% $96

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 28.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 23.8% $40

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Istanbul

$76 5% 19.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 60.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,003 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 80% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $55 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $258 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

01:34 1:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 49.96 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.78 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Istanbul 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Istanbul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,274 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,003 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $1,028 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,516 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,516 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.