Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kortrijk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kortrijk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,926 in Kortrijk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,743 in Kortrijk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $3,560 in Kortrijk, rent included.

Medellin is about 11% cheaper than Kortrijk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Kortrijk sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Kortrijk by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$22.47 €19.33

-64.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$74.3 €63.9

-35.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$11.68 €10.05

-16.35%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.12 €2.68

-6.73%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$3.09 €2.66

-37.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$2.79 €2.40

-45.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$4.67 €4.02

-33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.39 €2.92

69.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.25 €1.08

8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.82 €1.56

31.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.46 €1.26

16.44%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$3.19 €2.75

-10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$12.15 €10.46

-18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$8.67 €7.46

24.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$15.25 €13.12

-3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.23 €1.92

83.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.05 €1.76

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.14 €1.84

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.00 €1.72

10.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.98 €1.70

3.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.78 €1.53

-15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.58 €1.36

-24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.78 €0.67

48.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$13.15 €11.32

-70.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$7.38 €6.35

95.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.15 €1.85

-26.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.86 €1.60

52.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$2.99 €2.57

-60.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$57.6 €49.55

34.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.25 €1.94

-43.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.37 €2.04

-11.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$26.21 €22.55

-67.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.94 €1.67

-32.99%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$36.5K €31.4K

-24.25%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$35.1K €30.2K

1.19%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$209 €180

-15.95%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$18.54 €15.95

-27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$55.6 €47.80

-46.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$54.1 €46.57

-17.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$13.78 €11.86

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$15.00 €12.91

-58.67%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$430 €370

84.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$4,707 €4,050

91.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$58.0 €49.87

47.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$27.40 €23.58

113.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$90.4 €77.8

50.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$106 €91.3

-2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$886 €763

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$758 €652

-10.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,275 €1,098

57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,033 €889

13.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$4,255 €3,662

-3.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,308 €1,986

-26.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$2,954 €2,542

-77.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.9

180.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kortrijk: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $886 in Kortrijk. 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 344% higher in Kortrijk, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $74.0 in Kortrijk. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Medellin vs $271 in Kortrijk – so Kortrijk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kortrijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kortrijk costs about 12% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $2,889 in Kortrijk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Kortrijk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $74.0 in Kortrijk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Kortrijk at $1,926. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kortrijk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,716 versus $1,926 in Kortrijk. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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