Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalkan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalkan: $909 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Kalkan, Turkey
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Kalkan
🇹🇷 Turkey
$909
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kalkan

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $909 in Kalkan, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Kalkan $909

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,457 in Kalkan, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Kalkan $1,457

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,006 in Kalkan, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Kalkan $2,006

Medellin costs about 80% more than Kalkan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kalkan is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$5.91 ₺294
36.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$23.99 ₺1,196
96.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$7.98 ₺398
19.05%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$3.12 ₺156
-3.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$1.15 ₺57.1
56.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.37 ₺18.63
281.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$3.10 ₺154
2.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$3.23 ₺161
78.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$0.94 ₺46.88
60.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.07 ₺53.2
122.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$2.19 ₺109
-19.18%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$1.85 ₺92.1
56.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$8.94 ₺446
13.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$3.20 ₺160
208.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$20.99 ₺1,046
-33.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$1.91 ₺95.0
107.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.92 ₺95.9
-19.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.02 ₺50.8
113.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$1.11 ₺55.6
96.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$0.57 ₺28.27
243.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$0.48 ₺24.02
231.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$0.77 ₺38.35
49.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.69 ₺34.54
79.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$2.17 ₺108
82.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$8.15 ₺406
67.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$2.02 ₺101
-17.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.77 ₺138
-18.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$0.74 ₺37.10
58.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$1.58 ₺78.7
-19.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$0.79 ₺39.46
159.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$9.98 ₺497
-14.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.31 ₺65.2
3.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$40.0K ₺2.0M
-14.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$37.4K ₺1.9M
-7.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$41.01 ₺2,044
313.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$8.16 ₺407
66.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$11.86 ₺591
136.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$53.5 ₺2,666
-18.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$6.39 ₺318
8.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$298 ₺14.8K
167.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$6,452 ₺321.5K
41.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$54.3 ₺2,706
55.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$50.9 ₺2,534
13.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$91.3 ₺4,551
47.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$85.0 ₺4,237
15.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$384 ₺19.1K
214.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$291 ₺14.5K
120.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$789 ₺39.3K
156.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$608 ₺30.3K
66.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$1,474 ₺73.5K
182.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$926 ₺46.1K
106.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kalkan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
49.67
-77.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kalkan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Kalkan
$291 54.6% $350
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Kalkan
$219 26.3% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Kalkan
$61 71.1% $150
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Kalkan
$137 19.4% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Kalkan
$127 25% $42
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Kalkan
$8.5 * 90.9% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Kalkan
$66 15.2% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $384 in Kalkan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $24 in Kalkan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $219 – making Kalkan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇹🇷 Kalkan
🕒 Local time
17:12 5:12 PM
01:12 1:12 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
3,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kalkan 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kalkan

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 Kalkan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Kalkan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $909 in Kalkan – Kalkan comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Kalkan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,364 in Kalkan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Kalkan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalkan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $384 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $24 in Kalkan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kalkan, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kalkan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Kalkan?
Families tend to lean toward Kalkan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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