Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jekabpils Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jekabpils

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,218 in Jekabpils.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,809 in Jekabpils.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,401 in Jekabpils.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Jekabpils, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Jekabpils is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$12.92 €11.26

-37.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$32.50 €28.32

47.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.81 €8.55

0.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.55 €3.09

-11.83%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.02 €0.89

87.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.99 €0.86

52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$5.91 €5.15

-47.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.57 €3.98

25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.11 €0.97

29.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.51 €1.32

64.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.58 €2.25

-31.40%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.36 €2.06

25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.90 €9.50

-7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.02 €6.12

44.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.41 €12.55

-0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.63 €1.42

153.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.71 €1.49

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.97 €1.71

14.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$3.14 €2.73

-28.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.94 €0.82

117.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.96 €0.84

60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.77 €1.54

-33.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.85 €0.74

54.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$5.85 €5.10

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.94 €6.05

101.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.49 €1.30

16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.70 €1.48

68.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.13 €0.98

7.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$69.7 €60.7

15.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.03 €0.89

27.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.42 €0.36

421.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$18.31 €15.95

-52.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.78 €1.55

-23.03%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$28.2K €24.6K

-1.38%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.8K €27.7K

12.52%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$277 €242

-36.10%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$11.33 €9.87

22.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$16.80 €14.64

76.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$34.02 €29.64

31.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$13.60 €11.84

25.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.13 €9.70

-40.25%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$633 €551

28.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$8,104 €7,060

13.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$72.8 €63.4

22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$29.34 €25.56

100.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$88.4 €77.0

56.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$142 €124

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$233 €203

356.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$173 €151

283.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$408 €356

362.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$346 €302

196.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$855 €745

389.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$827 €721

102.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,020 €888

-33.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.64

135.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $233 in Jekabpils. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jekabpils pays 50% 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 $33.00 in Jekabpils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $246 per month, with Jekabpils 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 Jekabpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Jekabpils differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,218 including rent). Jekabpils is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Jekabpils. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $233 in Jekabpils. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,218 in Jekabpils – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jekabpils runs roughly 15% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,218 in Jekabpils versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jekabpils but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jekabpils the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Jekabpils 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 Jekabpils gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.