Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pernik

For one person, living is cheaper in Pernik: $844 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Pernik
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Pernik Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Pernik

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pernik

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $844 in Pernik, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Pernik $844

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,065 in Pernik, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Pernik $1,065

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,286 in Pernik, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Pernik $1,286

Medellin costs about 93% more than Pernik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pernik is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$10.15 BGN 17.65

-18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$25.59 BGN 44.53

83.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.74 BGN 15.20

5.72%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.55 BGN 2.69

96.77%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.99 BGN 1.72

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.52 BGN 0.91

165.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.20 BGN 3.82

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.95 BGN 3.40

185.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.43 BGN 2.48

4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.65 BGN 1.13

264.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.44 BGN 2.50

18.06%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.37 BGN 4.12

24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.40 BGN 14.61

21.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.64 BGN 11.55

46.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$8.29 BGN 14.43

67.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.15 BGN 2.00

259.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.44 BGN 2.51

54.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.98 BGN 3.44

14.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.83 BGN 1.44

139.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.72 BGN 1.25

131.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.58 BGN 1.01

103.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.63 BGN 1.10

96.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.37 BGN 5.86

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$5.21 BGN 9.06

164.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.74 BGN 1.28

124.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.69 BGN 2.95

42.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.83 BGN 1.44

49.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$11.50 BGN 20.00

580.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-4.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.61 BGN 1.07

252.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$11.27 BGN 19.61

-25.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-14.01%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$30.7K BGN 53.3K

13.41%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$23.7K BGN 41.3K

46.28%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$92.4 BGN 161

80.36%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$14.91 BGN 25.95

-8.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$12.35 BGN 21.48

135.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$34.02 BGN 59.2

32.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.62 BGN 9.78

24.02%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$232 BGN 404

240.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$2,315 BGN 4,027

290.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$30.71 BGN 53.4

185.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$19.41 BGN 33.78

199.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$64.9 BGN 113

114.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$51.4 BGN 89.4

92.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$293 BGN 509

251.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$256 BGN 445

142.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,152 BGN 2,004

246.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,049 BGN 1,825

62.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,564 BGN 2,721

-57.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.99

265.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pernik: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Pernik

$256 30.3% 58.7% $363

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Pernik

$182 21.6% 39% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Pernik

$120 14.2% 42.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Pernik

$75 8.9% 56.7% $98

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Pernik

$147 17.4% 14% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Pernik

$19 2.3% 79.8% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Pernik

$45 5.4% 23.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $293 in Pernik. 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 136% higher in Pernik, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Pernik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $182 – making Pernik the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇬 Pernik

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

78,342

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Pernik 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pernik

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 Pernik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,266 in Pernik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Pernik. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $844 in Pernik. That's a gap of about 93%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pernik, where all-in costs run around $844, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Pernik it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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