Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Karlovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovo: $786 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Karlovo
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Karlovo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Karlovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Karlovo

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $786 in Karlovo, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Karlovo $786

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,272 in Karlovo, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Karlovo $1,272

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,758 in Karlovo, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Karlovo $1,758

Medellin costs about 115% more than Karlovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Karlovo is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$7.21 BGN 12.55

15.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$34.76 BGN 60.5

33.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$8.49 BGN 14.76

11.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.42 BGN 2.47

120.42%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$1.10 BGN 1.92

60.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.74 BGN 1.30

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.95 BGN 3.38

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.70 BGN 2.96

235.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.15 BGN 2.01

33.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$0.82 BGN 1.43

179.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$1.86 BGN 3.23

4.30%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$3.28 BGN 5.71

-6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$10.26 BGN 17.85

-2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$8.70 BGN 15.13

20.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$5.62 BGN 9.79

148.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.23 BGN 2.14

229.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.96 BGN 3.41

-21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$2.04 BGN 3.55

2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$2.13 BGN 3.71

7.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$0.48 BGN 0.84

339.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$0.87 BGN 1.52

96.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$1.01 BGN 1.75

15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.78 BGN 1.35

102.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$3.27 BGN 5.68

19.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$7.00 BGN 12.18

100.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$1.04 BGN 1.81

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$1.81 BGN 3.15

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$1.12 BGN 1.95

5.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$25.72 BGN 44.75

196.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$1.16 BGN 2.01

56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$0.72 BGN 1.25

195.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$11.85 BGN 20.62

-31.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.42 BGN 2.47

-9.86%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

15.10%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$23.8K BGN 41.4K

43.50%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$101 BGN 176

75.43%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$14.18 BGN 24.67

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$11.97 BGN 20.83

156.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$31.34 BGN 54.5

33.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$16.96 BGN 29.51

-0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.83 BGN 10.15

28.13%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$228 BGN 396

246.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$5,924 BGN 10.3K

107.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$29.09 BGN 50.6

196.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$11.58 BGN 20.14

411.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$56.3 BGN 97.9

145.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$45.12 BGN 78.5

118.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$330 BGN 574

306.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$188 BGN 327

254.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$540 BGN 940

265.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$404 BGN 703

155.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,314 BGN 2,286

211.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,083 BGN 1,884

79.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$465 BGN 809

38.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.25

236.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Karlovo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Karlovo

$188 23.9% 71.8% $479

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Karlovo

$208 26.4% 32.5% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Karlovo

$127 16.2% 42.7% $95

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Karlovo

$121 15.4% 30.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Karlovo

$64 8.1% 62.9% $108

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Karlovo

$35 4.5% 62.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Karlovo

$43 5.5% 24.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $330 in Karlovo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Karlovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $208 – making Karlovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇬 Karlovo

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

23,919

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Karlovo 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Karlovo

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 Karlovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,179 in Karlovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Karlovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $228 in Karlovo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karlovo, where all-in costs run around $786, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Karlovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlovo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karlovo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.