Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jekabpils

For one person, living is cheaper in Jekabpils: $1,188 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Jekabpils
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Jekabpils Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Jekabpils

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jekabpils

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 Jekabpils actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,188 in Jekabpils.

Medellin $1,639
Jekabpils $1,188

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,776 in Jekabpils.

Medellin $2,413
Jekabpils $1,776

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,364 in Jekabpils.

Medellin $3,186
Jekabpils $2,364

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Jekabpils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Jekabpils is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$12.35 €11.02

-34.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$31.09 €27.74

51.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.08 €8.10

4.63%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.34 €2.98

-9.88%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.03 €0.92

74.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.97 €0.87

45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.64 €5.03

-43.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.17 €4.61

11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.11 €0.99

36.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.43 €1.28

66.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$2.45 €2.18

-27.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.30 €2.06

25.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.31 €9.20

-1.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.52 €5.82

51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$13.95 €12.44

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.54 €1.37

157.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.68 €1.50

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.94 €1.73

12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$3.25 €2.90

-32.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$0.89 €0.80

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$0.91 €0.81

74.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.67 €1.49

-31.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.75 €0.67

65.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.73 €5.12

-30.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.88 €6.13

98.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.47 €1.32

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.66 €1.48

36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.09 €0.97

7.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$66.7 €59.5

16.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.03 €0.92

23.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.37 €0.33

454.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$17.82 €15.90

-52.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.81 €1.61

-25.41%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$26.9K €24.0K

26.45%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$29.3K €26.1K

18.41%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$266 €237

-36.20%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.00 €9.81

23.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$16.41 €14.64

71.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$33.56 €29.95

30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$13.48 €12.03

27.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$10.89 €9.71

-36.55%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$603 €538

32.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,744 €6,909

17.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$69.3 €61.8

22.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$28.49 €25.42

103.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$87.1 €77.7

55.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$139 €124

-29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$226 €202

433.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$171 €153

275.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$390 €348

419.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$332 €296

204.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$853 €761

388.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$794 €709

140.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$980 €874

-32.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.77

129.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Jekabpils

$171 14.4% 73.4% $471

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Jekabpils

$236 19.9% 20.5% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Jekabpils

$293 24.7% 38.8% $82

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Jekabpils

$213 17.9% 25.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Jekabpils

$146 12.3% 13.7% $23

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Jekabpils

$74 6.2% 21% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Jekabpils

$55 4.7% 3.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $226 in Jekabpils. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jekabpils pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $31 in Jekabpils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $236 per month, with Jekabpils cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇻 Jekabpils

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

17:59 5:59 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

22,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Jekabpils 10,120 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Jekabpils

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 Jekabpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,188 in Jekabpils, so Jekabpils is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $226 in Jekabpils. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,188 in Jekabpils – Jekabpils is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Jekabpils runs roughly 14% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Jekabpils gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Jekabpils gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.