Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Suwalki

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwalki: $1,491 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

Medellin, Colombia
Suwalki, Poland
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Suwalki
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,491
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Suwalki

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,491 in Suwalki, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Suwalki $1,491

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,038 in Suwalki, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Suwalki $2,038

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,585 in Suwalki, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Suwalki $2,585

Medellin costs about 13% more than Suwalki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Suwalki sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Suwalki by 10%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$5.18 zł 20.24
61.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$20.65 zł 80.7
125.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$8.94 zł 34.92
5.93%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$3.29 zł 12.85
-4.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,727
$0.92 zł 3.61
92.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,619
$2.19 zł 8.55
-35.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$4.52 zł 17.67
-30.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$4.96 zł 19.38
14.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,969
$0.97 zł 3.78
57.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,429
$0.87 zł 3.40
163.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,306
$1.10 zł 4.30
76.36%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,942
$2.66 zł 10.40
15.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$7.80 zł 30.48
28.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$5.21 zł 20.36
100.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$6.37 zł 24.90
119.15%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$0.73 zł 2.86
454.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,956
$1.68 zł 6.56
-8.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,823
$1.67 zł 6.53
25.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,437
$4.03 zł 15.76
-43.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,839
$0.53 zł 2.06
298.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,542
$0.91 zł 3.55
87.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,794
$1.12 zł 4.39
4.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,123
$0.37 zł 1.43
327.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$6.24 zł 24.40
-37.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.5K
$6.43 zł 25.13
118.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,712
$1.14 zł 4.45
54.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,793
$1.72 zł 6.73
57.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,825
$1.04 zł 4.06
13.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$30.22 zł 118
152.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,859
$2.60 zł 10.17
-30.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,904
$1.25 zł 4.89
70.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$12.48 zł 48.76
-34.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,135
$1.70 zł 6.64
-24.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$30.0K zł 117.3K
14.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$29.9K zł 116.8K
14.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.3K
$346 zł 1,352
-48.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$8.97 zł 35.07
54.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$15.78 zł 61.7
94.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$38.42 zł 150
9.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
$21.85 zł 85.4
-23.11%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$9.05 zł 35.36
-17.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$595 zł 2,323
32.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$14.6K zł 57.1K
-15.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 279.9K
$107 zł 419
-19.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$38.72 zł 151
53.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.6K
$105 zł 410
31.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.4K
$113 zł 442
-12.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$592 zł 2,315
126.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$528 zł 2,062
26.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$969 zł 3,787
103.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$811 zł 3,170
27.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$2,953 zł 11.5K
38.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,184 zł 8,537
-11.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Suwalki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$1,446 zł 5,652
-55.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.69
63.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Suwalki: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Suwalki
$528 20.9% $139
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Suwalki
$177 42.5% $131
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Suwalki
$371 66.7% $148
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Suwalki
$153 11.6% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Suwalki
$164 4.9% $8.5
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Suwalki
$43 53.7% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Suwalki
$57 0.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $592 in Suwalki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Suwalki are about 2.2 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 $21 in Suwalki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $177 – making Suwalki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇱 Suwalki
🕒 Local time
19:09 7:09 PM
01:09 1:09 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
69,575
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Suwalki 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Suwalki

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 Suwalki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suwalki cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,237 in Suwalki. 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 Suwalki, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $592 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Suwalki?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $21 in Suwalki. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Suwalki?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,491 in Suwalki. That makes Suwalki about 12% cheaper.
Is Medellin or Suwalki more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Suwalki – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Suwalki is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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