Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Smolyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolyan: $723 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Smolyan
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Smolyan Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Smolyan

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Smolyan

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $723 in Smolyan, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Smolyan $723

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,156 in Smolyan, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Smolyan $1,156

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,589 in Smolyan, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Smolyan $1,589

Medellin costs about 134% more than Smolyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Smolyan is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.38 BGN 11.17

30.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$37.37 BGN 65.4

24.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$5.79 BGN 10.14

63.56%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.32 BGN 2.32

137.12%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$1.07 BGN 1.87

65.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.78 BGN 1.36

82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.72 BGN 3.02

83.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.18 BGN 3.81

161.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.75 BGN 3.06

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.93 BGN 1.63

146.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$1.73 BGN 3.03

12.14%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$3.37 BGN 5.89

-8.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$10.22 BGN 17.89

-2.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$5.73 BGN 10.03

82.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$8.63 BGN 15.11

61.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.13 BGN 1.98

258.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.15 BGN 2.01

82.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$2.31 BGN 4.05

-0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.17 BGN 2.05

80.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.49 BGN 2.60

14.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.93 BGN 1.63

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.60 BGN 1.05

163.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$3.40 BGN 5.94

15.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$5.55 BGN 9.72

152.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$0.60 BGN 1.04

193.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.67 BGN 2.92

62.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.88 BGN 1.54

34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$32.36 BGN 56.6

135.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.30 BGN 2.28

39.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.59 BGN 1.04

261.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$12.19 BGN 21.33

-33.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.54 BGN 2.69

-16.88%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$23.1K BGN 40.4K

49.15%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$23.4K BGN 40.9K

45.91%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$100 BGN 175

77.64%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$14.39 BGN 25.18

-3.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$9.26 BGN 16.21

231.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$21.86 BGN 38.26

91.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$16.71 BGN 29.25

0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$7.64 BGN 13.38

-2.23%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$230 BGN 402

244.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$5,915 BGN 10.4K

107.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$28.19 BGN 49.33

206.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$21.01 BGN 36.77

182.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$58.9 BGN 103

134.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$62.8 BGN 110

57.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$202 BGN 353

564.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$141 BGN 247

372.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$290 BGN 507

582.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$238 BGN 417

333.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,302 BGN 2,279

214.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,091 BGN 1,910

77.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$694 BGN 1,215

-6.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.25

236.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Smolyan

$141 19.5% 78.8% $526

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Smolyan

$199 27.6% 35.1% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Smolyan

$124 17.1% 44.4% $99

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Smolyan

$105 14.5% 39.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Smolyan

$77 10.6% 55.4% $95

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Smolyan

$40 5.6% 57.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Smolyan

$37 5.1% 34.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $202 in Smolyan. 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 7% higher in Smolyan, 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 $37 in Smolyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $199 – making Smolyan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇬 Smolyan

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

11:33 11:33 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

30,507

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.97 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Smolyan 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Smolyan

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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 134%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,085 in Smolyan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Smolyan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $202 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $37 in Smolyan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $723 in Smolyan. That makes Smolyan about 57% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Smolyan, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Smolyan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Smolyan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.