Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,425 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
Learn more

Sangju Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sangju

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,425 in Sangju, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sangju $1,425

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,201 in Sangju, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sangju $2,201

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,978 in Sangju, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sangju $2,978

Medellin costs about 15% more than Sangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Sangju sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sangju by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.06 ₩8,131

33.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$34.86 ₩46.8K

34.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.84 ₩9,186

38.89%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.65 ₩4,907

-17.53%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.59 ₩2,140

13.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.63 ₩841

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$3.42 ₩4,588

-7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.39 ₩5,893

30.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.23 ₩2,992

-32.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.21 ₩4,310

-25.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.36 ₩3,170

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.26 ₩4,380

-11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$15.90 ₩21.3K

-35.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$7.99 ₩10.7K

23.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

25.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$7.78 ₩10.4K

-48.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$3.27 ₩4,396

-52.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$7.55 ₩10.1K

-71.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$7.20 ₩9,669

-69.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.53 ₩4,744

-44.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.45 ₩3,296

-35.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.07 ₩2,782

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.29 ₩1,726

-3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.44 ₩4,618

15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$18.78 ₩25.2K

-27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.29 ₩3,075

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.45 ₩4,635

-34.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.11 ₩1,491

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.71 ₩4,984

-65.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.66 ₩891

210.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$9.11 ₩12.2K

-6.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.35 ₩1,814

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$30.0K ₩40.3M

13.61%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$35.2K ₩47.3M

-1.54%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$210 ₩281.4K

-19.04%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$43.44 ₩58.3K

-68.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$20.80 ₩27.9K

34.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$53.6 ₩72.0K

-18.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$14.02 ₩18.8K

22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$11.28 ₩15.1K

-38.74%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$300 ₩403.0K

165.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$17.8K ₩23.9M

-48.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$66.3 ₩89.0K

27.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$64.5 ₩86.6K

-10.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$73.8 ₩99.2K

82.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$100 ₩134.4K

-2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$483 ₩648.8K

149.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$361 ₩484.7K

77.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,157 ₩1.6M

75.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$739 ₩991.7K

37.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$7,248 ₩9.7M

-42.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$5,516 ₩7.4M

-65.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,492 ₩2.0M

-55.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.1

166.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sangju: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sangju

$361 25.3% 43.7% $281

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sangju

$418 29.3% 40.7% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sangju

$274 19.2% 29.6% $63

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sangju

$148 10.4% 13% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sangju

$137 9.6% 18.9% $32

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sangju

$11 * 0.8% 87.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sangju

$76 5.4% 32.4% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $483 in Sangju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sangju are about 2.3 times higher, 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 in Medellin versus $35 in Sangju. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $418 in Sangju – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇷 Sangju

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

08:02 8:02 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

100,947

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sangju 14,660 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sangju

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 Sangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,137 in Sangju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sangju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Sangju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

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