Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Izmir Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Izmir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,218 in Izmir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,912 in Izmir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,605 in Izmir.

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than in Izmir, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Izmir is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.15 ₺493

-20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$36.97 ₺1,795

30.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.33 ₺405

13.09%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.68 ₺179

-20.11%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.51 ₺73.4

23.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.53 ₺25.94

175.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.14 ₺152

2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.12 ₺249

11.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.10 ₺53.3

30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.97 ₺47.06

147.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.27 ₺110

-25.11%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.55 ₺124

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.76 ₺474

3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.21 ₺253

91.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$22.57 ₺1,096

-37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.01 ₺97.7

98.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.16 ₺105

-26.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.22 ₺59.2

76.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.46 ₺70.7

57.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.53 ₺25.67

277.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.36 ₺17.45

319.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.16 ₺56.2

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.80 ₺38.71

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.30 ₺112

66.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.77 ₺572

19.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.14 ₺104

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.13 ₺152

-12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.68 ₺33.26

83.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$42.17 ₺2,047

84.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.57 ₺173

-63.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.03 ₺50.3

110.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$5.12 ₺249

61.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.35 ₺65.3

0.74%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-33.83%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$46.2K ₺2.2M

-20.87%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$85.3 ₺4,142

97.77%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.58 ₺514

28.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$16.00 ₺777

77.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$65.2 ₺3,166

-29.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$36.50 ₺1,772

-52.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.03 ₺390

-17.19%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$741 ₺36.0K

8.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$15.6K ₺755.4K

-40.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$48.11 ₺2,336

81.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$39.69 ₺1,927

49.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$91.1 ₺4,425

52.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$84.9 ₺4,121

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$604 ₺29.3K

77.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$429 ₺20.8K

52.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,152 ₺55.9K

67.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$803 ₺39.0K

30.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,488 ₺72.2K

177.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,025 ₺49.8K

65.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,147 ₺55.7K

-42.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

42.33

-74.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Izmir: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $604 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 75% 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 $37.00 in Izmir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $255 per month, with Izmir 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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Izmir wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Izmir the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Izmir. 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 $604 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,218 in Izmir – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Izmir runs roughly 85% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,218 in Izmir versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Izmir but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Izmir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Izmir delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,218 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Izmir hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Izmir 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 Izmir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.