Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sofia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sofia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,659 in Sofia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,553 in Sofia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $3,447 in Sofia, rent included.

Medellin is about 1% cheaper than Sofia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Sofia sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Sofia by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$17.14 BGN 28.51

-53.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$64.0 BGN 106

-24.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$12.13 BGN 20.18

-22.34%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.55 BGN 5.91

-17.18%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.45 BGN 4.08

-24.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.94 BGN 3.22

-24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.54 BGN 5.89

-9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.60 BGN 7.65

24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.08 BGN 3.46

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.52 BGN 2.53

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.31 BGN 3.84

-26.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$4.55 BGN 7.57

-36.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.88 BGN 19.76

-15.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$8.94 BGN 14.88

11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$17.42 BGN 28.99

-18.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.17 BGN 3.61

83.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.06 BGN 3.43

-23.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.90 BGN 3.17

13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.12 BGN 6.85

-44.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.11 BGN 1.85

80.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.95 BGN 1.58

58.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.25 BGN 2.08

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.85 BGN 1.41

50.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.49 BGN 7.46

-14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.42 BGN 12.34

88.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.20 BGN 1.99

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.92 BGN 3.20

42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.95 BGN 1.57

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$30.10 BGN 50.1

158.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.82 BGN 3.03

-28.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.93 BGN 1.55

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$15.98 BGN 26.58

-48.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.78 BGN 2.96

-23.60%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$31.5K BGN 52.3K

-12.66%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.9K BGN 46.5K

30.81%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$165 BGN 274

2.52%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$21.72 BGN 36.13

-37.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$14.99 BGN 24.94

88.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$48.62 BGN 80.9

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$29.09 BGN 48.40

-40.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.52 BGN 17.50

-36.79%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$781 BGN 1,298

2.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.2K BGN 22.0K

-30.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$91.6 BGN 152

-4.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$43.54 BGN 72.4

36.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$106 BGN 176

31.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$109 BGN 182

-6.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$809 BGN 1,345

32.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$619 BGN 1,030

5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,586 BGN 2,638

21.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,097 BGN 1,825

-4.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,590 BGN 7,635

-10.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$3,336 BGN 5,550

-49.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,796 BGN 2,988

-63.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.9

277.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sofia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $809 in Sofia. 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 174% higher in Sofia, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $64.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $293 in Sofia – so Sofia 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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,489 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $64.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,659 in Sofia. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Sofia at $1,659. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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