Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,811 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Krakow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
Learn more

Krakow Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Krakow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,811 in Krakow.

Medellin $1,589
Krakow $1,811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $2,597 in Krakow.

Medellin $2,364
Krakow $2,597

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $3,383 in Krakow.

Medellin $3,139
Krakow $3,383

Living in Medellin costs roughly 12% less than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Krakow 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$11.89 zł 46.46

-32.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$50.2 zł 196

-7.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$9.96 zł 38.92

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$4.12 zł 16.09

-29.37%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$2.57 zł 10.05

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$2.44 zł 9.52

-45.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$4.57 zł 17.88

-31.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$4.56 zł 17.84

21.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.06 zł 4.13

33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.47 zł 5.74

65.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.69 zł 6.62

-3.55%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$3.95 zł 15.42

-28.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$9.31 zł 36.37

4.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$7.75 zł 30.29

20.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$13.20 zł 51.6

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.34 zł 5.23

198.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.69 zł 6.62

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.76 zł 6.86

20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$3.06 zł 11.95

-26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.92 zł 3.61

107.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.98 zł 3.83

65.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.23 zł 4.81

-6.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.80 zł 3.13

57.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$6.22 zł 24.33

-38.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$6.30 zł 24.61

108.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.18 zł 4.63

35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.77 zł 6.90

27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$1.50 zł 5.86

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$33.54 zł 131

123.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$2.28 zł 8.91

-44.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.99 zł 3.88

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$12.22 zł 47.78

-32.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.69 zł 6.62

-24.85%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$30.4K zł 119.0K

-12.06%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$28.9K zł 112.9K

19.09%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$333 zł 1,301

-51.28%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$8.71 zł 34.03

50.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$17.32 zł 67.7

62.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$45.70 zł 179

-3.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$25.11 zł 98.2

-34.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$8.69 zł 33.95

-29.92%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$463 zł 1,808

65.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$9,594 zł 37.5K

-7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$99.1 zł 387

-14.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$40.31 zł 158

42.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$90.3 zł 353

45.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$119 zł 464

-19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$946 zł 3,698

8.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$717 zł 2,804

-15.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,440 zł 5,629

25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,136 zł 4,439

-12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$5,602 zł 21.9K

-30.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$3,540 zł 13.8K

-53.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$1,855 zł 7,250

-66.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.62

65.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Krakow

$717 39.8% 18.7% $113

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Krakow

$235 13% 18.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Krakow

$359 19.9% 76.5% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Krakow

$157 8.7% 5.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Krakow

$226 12.6% 36.1% $60

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Krakow

$47 2.6% 48.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Krakow

$63 3.5% 11.6% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $946 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 196% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Krakow. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $235, with Krakow cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

15:06 3:06 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

806,201

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Krakow 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Krakow

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 Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 196% lower in Krakow. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $946 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Krakow pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,811 in Krakow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Krakow 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.