Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Katerini Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Katerini

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,372 in Katerini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,100 in Katerini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,828 in Katerini.

Living in Medellin is roughly 20% more expensive than in Katerini, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Katerini is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$15.78 €13.60

-49.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$58.5 €50.4

-17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.02 €7.78

4.43%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.07 €3.51

-27.76%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.85 €1.60

0.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.72 €0.62

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$4.17 €3.60

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$6.32 €5.45

-9.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.42 €1.22

1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.59 €1.37

50.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.10 €1.81

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.67 €3.16

-21.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.03 €9.51

-8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$9.55 €8.23

4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.25 €12.29

-0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.89 €1.63

110.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.88 €1.62

-15.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.46 €1.26

47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.89 €1.63

21.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.20 €1.04

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.25 €1.08

20.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.35 €1.17

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.50 €0.43

156.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.05 €4.35

-23.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.48 €6.45

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.15 €0.99

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.60 €1.38

71.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.48 €1.28

-15.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$58.1 €50.0

34.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.15 €2.71

-58.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.07 €0.92

102.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$17.60 €15.17

-52.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.15 €1.86

-36.74%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.5K €24.6K

-3.59%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.8K €21.4K

47.49%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$232 €200

-27.29%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$23.95 €20.64

-43.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$31.14 €26.84

-9.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$44.33 €38.21

3.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$26.16 €22.55

-34.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$9.28 €8.00

-28.34%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$362 €312

121.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,702 €4,053

95.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$96.4 €83.1

-9.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$43.37 €37.38

36.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$84.5 €72.8

64.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$74.4 €64.1

37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$340 €293

215.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$300 €258

117.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$601 €518

220.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$501 €432

109.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,597 €1,376

158.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,343 €1,157

26.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,170 €1,009

-44.03%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Katerini: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $340 in Katerini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Katerini pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $59.0 in Katerini. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $254, with Katerini cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin and Katerini differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,372 including rent). Katerini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Katerini. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $340 in Katerini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $362 in Katerini. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,372 in Katerini versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Katerini but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Katerini the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Katerini 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 Katerini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.