Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $908 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Stara Zagora

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $908 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Stara Zagora $908

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,415 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Stara Zagora $1,415

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,921 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Stara Zagora $1,921

Medellin costs about 81% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Stara Zagora is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.38 BGN 18.16

-22.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$51.7 BGN 90.5

-9.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.15 BGN 16.02

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.34 BGN 4.09

28.63%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.50 BGN 2.62

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.87 BGN 1.52

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.21 BGN 3.87

43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.03 BGN 3.56

183.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.86 BGN 1.51

176.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.45 BGN 2.54

22.07%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.36 BGN 4.12

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.38 BGN 16.42

8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.39 BGN 11.18

54.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.59 BGN 15.03

62.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.25 BGN 2.19

217.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.76 BGN 3.08

23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.93 BGN 3.38

12.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.00 BGN 1.74

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.72 BGN 1.26

120.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.55 BGN 0.97

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.63 BGN 1.10

96.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.64 BGN 6.38

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$5.25 BGN 9.18

160.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.09 BGN 1.91

52.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.73 BGN 3.03

30.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.85 BGN 1.49

37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$20.45 BGN 35.79

278.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.29 BGN 2.26

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.64 BGN 1.13

220.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$11.40 BGN 19.95

-25.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.57 BGN 2.75

-14.01%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

14.59%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.5K BGN 41.1K

47.69%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$91.4 BGN 160

85.69%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.59 BGN 25.53

-7.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$12.26 BGN 21.46

128.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$33.21 BGN 58.1

31.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$21.06 BGN 36.86

-18.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.89 BGN 15.55

-22.27%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$227 BGN 398

250.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,270 BGN 3,972

301.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$30.35 BGN 53.1

179.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$19.39 BGN 33.93

198.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$64.0 BGN 112

110.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$51.9 BGN 90.8

88.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$330 BGN 577

266.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$279 BGN 489

129.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$498 BGN 871

307.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$399 BGN 699

153.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,506 BGN 2,635

177.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,109 BGN 1,941

72.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,067 BGN 1,867

-38.39%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Stara Zagora

$279 30.8% 56.5% $362

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Stara Zagora

$194 21.3% 34.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Stara Zagora

$118 13% 44% $93

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Stara Zagora

$163 18% 3.8% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2% 55.9% $94

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Stara Zagora

$28 3.1% 69.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6% 11.4% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $330 in Stara Zagora. 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 62% higher in Stara Zagora, 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 $52 in Stara Zagora. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $194 in Stara Zagora – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

11:01 11:01 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

149,266

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Stara Zagora 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,362 in Stara Zagora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $52 in Stara Zagora. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $908 in Stara Zagora. That makes Stara Zagora about 45% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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