Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Karabuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Karabuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $986 in Karabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,489 in Karabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,992 in Karabuk.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than in Karabuk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Karabuk 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 19.1K

$7.16 ₺340

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 106.5K

$22.10 ₺1,050

49.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 24.0K

$8.38 ₺398

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,343

$2.80 ₺133

-41.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,559

$1.24 ₺59.1

-11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,523

$0.78 ₺36.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,553

$2.60 ₺124

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.17 ₺103

46.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,565

$0.72 ₺34.44

52.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,066

$0.37 ₺17.54

240.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,463

$2.15 ₺102

-35.81%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 7,038

$3.31 ₺157

-34.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.5K

$7.77 ₺369

-42.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.7K

$6.38 ₺303

-9.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 29.0K

$12.76 ₺606

-29.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,499

$1.00 ₺47.43

132.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,440

$1.50 ₺71.2

-29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,899

$0.79 ₺37.63

92.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,381

$0.99 ₺47.18

37.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,645

$0.73 ₺34.62

54.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,785

$0.71 ₺33.89

64.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,912

$0.52 ₺24.72

73.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,897

$0.36 ₺17.20

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,218

$2.03 ₺96.5

9.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 39.2K

$5.19 ₺247

133.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,841

$2.05 ₺97.4

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,020

$2.60 ₺124

-4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,758

$0.64 ₺30.40

32.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 134.5K

$30.52 ₺1,450

36.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,575

$0.77 ₺36.81

84.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,302

$0.62 ₺29.37

214.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.5K

$7.83 ₺372

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,200

$1.17 ₺55.4

-15.38%

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

$17.6K COP 56.9M

$35.2K ₺1.7M

-50.05%

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

$26.8K COP 86.6M

$37.7K ₺1.8M

-28.87%

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

$83.0 COP 268.2K

$89.7 ₺4,263

-7.44%

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

$9.70 COP 31.3K

$6.45 ₺306

50.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 76.0K

$12.49 ₺594

88.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 81.6K

$42.79 ₺2,034

-40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 61.7K

$7.79 ₺370

145.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.8K

$4.98 ₺236

-20.68%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$309 ₺14.7K

2.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.3M

$8,733 ₺415.1K

-31.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 193.8K

$25.54 ₺1,214

134.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 102.8K

$35.74 ₺1,699

-10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 328.5K

$51.7 ₺2,458

96.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 347.2K

$50.5 ₺2,400

112.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$523 ₺24.9K

-9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$386 ₺18.4K

-3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$898 ₺42.7K

-5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$700 ₺33.3K

2.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.5M

$1,672 ₺79.5K

95.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.7M

$622 ₺29.6K

131.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$1,256 ₺59.7K

-50.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-66.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $523 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $184 per month, with Karabuk 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 Karabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karabuk wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karabuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Karabuk. 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: $475 in Medellin versus $523 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karabuk – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Karabuk versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Karabuk but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Karabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karabuk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $986 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karabuk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Karabuk 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 Karabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.