Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Katerini

For one person, living is cheaper in Katerini: $1,301 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Katerini, Greece
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Katerini
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,301
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Katerini

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,301 in Katerini.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Katerini $1,301

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,993 in Katerini.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Katerini $1,993

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,684 in Katerini.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Katerini $2,684

Living in Medellin is roughly 26% more expensive than in Katerini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Katerini is 4% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$15.03 €13.50
-46.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$55.7 €50.0
-15.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$8.92 €8.02
6.50%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$3.93 €3.53
-23.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$1.85 €1.67
-2.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.77 €0.69
83.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$4.00 €3.60
-20.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$6.51 €5.85
-11.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.36 €1.23
11.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.55 €1.39
53.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.97 €1.77
-10.15%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$3.64 €3.27
-20.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$10.94 €9.83
-6.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$9.00 €8.09
9.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$14.17 €12.73
-1.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$1.82 €1.63
118.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.83 €1.65
-15.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.35 €1.22
61.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$1.79 €1.61
21.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.28 €1.15
53.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.22 €1.10
30.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.31 €1.17
-12.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.50 €0.45
148.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$4.88 €4.39
-18.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$7.27 €6.53
88.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.14 €1.02
45.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$1.52 €1.37
48.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$1.37 €1.23
-14.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$55.5 €49.89
39.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$2.90 €2.60
-56.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$0.99 €0.89
107.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$16.59 €14.90
-48.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$2.06 €1.85
-34.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$27.9K €25.0K
22.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$24.5K €22.0K
41.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$214 €192
-20.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$23.08 €20.74
-41.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$30.91 €27.77
-9.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$42.61 €38.28
2.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$24.90 €22.37
-30.96%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$8.99 €8.07
-23.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$345 €310
131.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$4,386 €3,940
107.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$93.0 €83.5
-8.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$42.03 €37.76
37.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$80.6 €72.4
67.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$70.2 €63.0
39.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$334 €300
262.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$290 €261
121.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$562 €505
260.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$475 €427
112.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$1,588 €1,426
162.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$1,243 €1,116
53.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Katerini
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,124 €1,010
-41.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.52
142.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Katerini: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Katerini
$290 54.8% $351
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Katerini
$247 16.8% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Katerini
$268 26.9% $57
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Katerini
$238 40.2% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Katerini
$129 23.9% $40
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Katerini
$69 26.4% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Katerini
$61 5.3% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $334 in Katerini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Katerini pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $56 in Katerini. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $247, with Katerini cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇷 Katerini
🕒 Local time
17:58 5:58 PM
00:58 12:58 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
56,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Katerini 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Katerini

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 Katerini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Katerini?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,301 in Katerini, so Katerini is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Katerini?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $334 in Katerini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Katerini?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $345 in Katerini. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to Katerini?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Katerini gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Katerini?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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