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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $933 in Kalasin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,537 in Kalasin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,140 in Kalasin.

Living in Medellin is roughly 76% more expensive than in Kalasin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kalasin is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.28 ฿174

52.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$21.77 ฿719

121.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.53 ฿150

107.95%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.09 ฿69.2

40.67%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.64 ฿21.09

190.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.31 ฿10.18

370.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.08 ฿68.7

54.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.12 ฿103

83.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.88 ฿62.0

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.48 ฿48.80

62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.21 ฿39.87

40.50%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.16 ฿71.5

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$15.95 ฿527

-36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.44 ฿80.8

308.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.60 ฿350

33.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.30 ฿109

20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.24 ฿41.03

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.98 ฿65.5

8.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.71 ฿56.4

34.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.55 ฿51.2

29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.95 ฿31.28

58.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.00 ฿32.91

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.55 ฿18.18

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.76 ฿157

-19.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$14.76 ฿488

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.65 ฿54.6

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.57 ฿84.8

6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.88 ฿29.22

42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.11 ฿36.57

18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.27 ฿41.86

70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.46 ฿147

85.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.36 ฿44.99

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$25.4K ฿838.5K

8.26%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$29.1K ฿960.8K

25.65%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$82.8 ฿2,737

103.69%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.16 ฿369

21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.35 ฿705

32.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$52.5 ฿1,733

-12.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$15.30 ฿505

12.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.53 ฿216

1.84%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$513 ฿16.9K

56.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,961 ฿329.1K

-7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$48.54 ฿1,604

79.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$30.40 ฿1,005

95.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$84.6 ฿2,794

64.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$79.4 ฿2,624

28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$465 ฿15.4K

130.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$281 ฿9,293

132.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,343 ฿44.4K

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$804 ฿26.6K

30.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,963 ฿64.9K

110.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,647 ฿54.4K

3.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kalasin: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $465 in Kalasin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Kalasin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $239 per month, with Kalasin 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 Kalasin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalasin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,400 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $465 in Kalasin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $513 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 $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $933 in Kalasin versus $1,641 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 76% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.