Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sakarya Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sakarya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $1,085 in Sakarya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,643 in Sakarya, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $2,201 in Sakarya, rent included.

Medellin is about 6% cheaper than Sakarya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Sakarya are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Sakarya 19% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.95 COPΒ 20.8K
$7.53 β‚Ί348
-20.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.33 COPΒ 116.3K
$26.78 β‚Ί1,239
24.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.23 COPΒ 25.2K
$7.53 β‚Ί348
-3.98%
Cappuccino
$1.63 COPΒ 5,687
$3.15 β‚Ί146
-48.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 COPΒ 3,821
$1.36 β‚Ί62.7
-19.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 COPΒ 2,548
$0.53 β‚Ί24.52
37.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 COPΒ 6,065
$4.86 β‚Ί225
-64.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 COPΒ 11.3K
$6.18 β‚Ί286
-47.73%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 COPΒ 3,662
$0.78 β‚Ί35.99
34.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 COPΒ 4,515
$0.73 β‚Ί33.87
76.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.32 COPΒ 4,617
$2.80 β‚Ί130
-52.86%
Eggs
$2.27 COPΒ 7,927
$1.91 β‚Ί88.5
18.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.35 COPΒ 15.2K
$7.78 β‚Ί360
-44.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.88 COPΒ 20.5K
$3.58 β‚Ί166
64.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.61 COPΒ 30.0K
$15.02 β‚Ί695
-42.68%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 COPΒ 7,844
$1.55 β‚Ί71.9
45.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 COPΒ 3,733
$2.75 β‚Ί127
-61.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 COPΒ 5,322
$0.86 β‚Ί39.95
76.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 COPΒ 4,964
$1.29 β‚Ί59.6
10.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 COPΒ 4,084
$0.52 β‚Ί24.25
125.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 COPΒ 4,077
$0.58 β‚Ί26.93
101.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 COPΒ 3,096
$0.86 β‚Ί39.61
3.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 COPΒ 3,146
$0.53 β‚Ί24.68
69.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.25 COPΒ 7,837
$2.34 β‚Ί108
-3.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.04 COPΒ 38.5K
$13.57 β‚Ί628
-18.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 COPΒ 3,977
$2.64 β‚Ί122
-56.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 COPΒ 8,301
$3.31 β‚Ί153
-28.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 COPΒ 2,916
$0.67 β‚Ί31.19
25.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.95 COPΒ 146.4K
$30.23 β‚Ί1,398
38.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.41 COPΒ 4,912
$2.10 β‚Ί97.2
-32.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 COPΒ 6,634
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 COPΒ 27.0K
$7.60 β‚Ί352
1.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 COPΒ 3,509
$1.19 β‚Ί55.1
-15.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.6K COPΒ 61.4M
$46.3K β‚Ί2.1M
-62.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K COPΒ 92.5M
$47.6K β‚Ί2.2M
-44.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.7 COPΒ 292.1K
$41.20 β‚Ί1,906
103.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.45 COPΒ 33.0K
$14.93 β‚Ί691
-36.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.11 COPΒ 84.1K
$11.66 β‚Ί539
106.78%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.31 COPΒ 88.3K
$34.25 β‚Ί1,584
-26.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.14 COPΒ 66.8K
$12.67 β‚Ί586
51.07%
Cinema Ticket
$4.10 COPΒ 14.3K
$4.94 β‚Ί229
-17.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$312 COPΒ 1.1M
$662 β‚Ί30.6K
-52.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,993 COPΒ 20.9M
$7,774 β‚Ί359.6K
-22.91%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 COPΒ 202.6K
$52.0 β‚Ί2,406
11.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.56 COPΒ 113.6K
$74.0 β‚Ί3,423
-55.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.6 COPΒ 347.7K
$116 β‚Ί5,380
-14.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 COPΒ 378.8K
$91.0 β‚Ί4,211
19.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 COPΒ 1.7M
$508 β‚Ί23.5K
-4.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$379 COPΒ 1.3M
$395 β‚Ί18.3K
-3.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$837 COPΒ 2.9M
$903 β‚Ί41.8K
-7.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$723 COPΒ 2.5M
$711 β‚Ί32.9K
1.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,840 COPΒ 9.9M
$1,321 β‚Ί61.1K
114.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,223 COPΒ 4.3M
$713 β‚Ί33.0K
71.62%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Sakarya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$541 COPΒ 1.9M
$959 β‚Ί44.4K
-43.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.43
36.83
-63.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sakarya: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $508 in Sakarya. 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 77% higher in Sakarya, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $27.00 in Sakarya. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $214 in Sakarya – so Medellin 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 Sakarya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sakarya cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Sakarya is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,627 in Sakarya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or Sakarya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $27.00 in Sakarya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and cafΓ© pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin vs Sakarya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $1,085 in Sakarya. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Medellin or Sakarya?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Sakarya at $1,085. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sakarya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Sakarya more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Sakarya?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sakarya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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