Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalasin Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalasin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $906 in Kalasin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,484 in Kalasin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,061 in Kalasin.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than in Kalasin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kalasin 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.17 ฿107

94.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$27.61 ฿929

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.37 ฿282

-12.31%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.07 ฿69.6

-16.91%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.72 ฿24.08

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.34 ฿11.54

126.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.44 ฿82.1

-30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.65 ฿123

-13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.69 ฿57.0

-37.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.21 ฿40.79

7.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.31 ฿43.94

6.87%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.12 ฿71.5

1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$18.13 ฿610

-75.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.94 ฿99.1

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.70 ฿360

-19.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$3.21 ฿108

-28.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.21 ฿40.68

-8.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.98 ฿66.5

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.59 ฿53.6

-15.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.54 ฿51.7

-26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.25 ฿42.20

-9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.98 ฿32.82

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.48 ฿16.31

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$4.32 ฿145

-45.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$17.29 ฿582

-28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.79 ฿60.2

-32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.68 ฿90.2

-7.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.91 ฿30.46

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.05 ฿35.37

35.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.19 ฿40.20

61.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.33 ฿213

21.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.25 ฿41.94

-20.80%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$28.2K ฿949.2K

-36.08%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.9K ฿939.6K

-4.64%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$76.2 ฿2,565

6.04%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.74 ฿462

-27.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$18.42 ฿620

31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$49.33 ฿1,660

-49.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$12.17 ฿409

57.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.26 ฿244

-45.18%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$302 ฿10.2K

1.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$9,692 ฿326.1K

-37.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$32.93 ฿1,108

76.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$35.17 ฿1,184

-8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$99.3 ฿3,341

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$71.8 ฿2,415

50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$424 ฿14.3K

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$286 ฿9,635

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$798 ฿26.9K

5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$668 ฿22.5K

9.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,119 ฿71.3K

51.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,543 ฿51.9K

-11.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.45

146.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kalasin: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $424 in Kalasin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Kalasin. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $249, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kalasin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalasin is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,359 in Kalasin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $424 in Kalasin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $302 in Kalasin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalasin – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $906 in Kalasin versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kalasin but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kalasin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kalasin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kalasin 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 Kalasin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.