Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,475 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

Medellin, Colombia
Szczecinek, Poland
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Szczecinek
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,475
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Szczecinek

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,475 in Szczecinek, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Szczecinek $1,475

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,128 in Szczecinek, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Szczecinek $2,128

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,780 in Szczecinek, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Szczecinek $2,780

Medellin costs about 11% more than Szczecinek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Szczecinek sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Szczecinek by 8%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$11.46 zł 45.32
-29.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$43.98 zł 174
6.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$8.70 zł 34.38
9.20%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$3.46 zł 13.66
-13.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.10 zł 4.33
63.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.84 zł 3.32
67.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$3.07 zł 12.12
3.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$1.44 zł 5.70
299.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$0.89 zł 3.51
69.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$1.19 zł 4.70
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$1.35 zł 5.35
31.11%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$3.48 zł 13.77
-16.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$7.69 zł 30.41
32.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$6.10 zł 24.10
61.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$12.92 zł 51.1
8.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.23 zł 4.84
222.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.12 zł 4.44
38.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.64 zł 6.49
32.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$2.50 zł 9.90
-12.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.78 zł 3.07
151.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.78 zł 3.09
103.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$1.27 zł 5.01
-9.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.70 zł 2.77
77.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.73 zł 22.65
-30.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$7.64 zł 30.19
79.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.14 zł 4.52
45.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$1.42 zł 5.60
59.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$1.03 zł 4.08
13.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$30.54 zł 121
153.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$2.30 zł 9.08
-44.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$1.04 zł 4.13
97.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$11.32 zł 44.74
-24.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.44 zł 5.69
-6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$31.1K zł 122.8K
9.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$28.4K zł 112.2K
22.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$295 zł 1,165
-42.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$7.67 zł 30.33
76.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$18.39 zł 72.7
52.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$37.56 zł 148
16.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$23.63 zł 93.4
-27.25%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$7.37 zł 29.14
-6.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$205 zł 811
288.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$7,514 zł 29.7K
21.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$77.6 zł 307
9.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$37.62 zł 149
54.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$84.3 zł 333
60.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$109 zł 432
-10.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$541 zł 2,138
123.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$530 zł 2,096
20.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,031 zł 4,074
96.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$852 zł 3,369
18.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$2,714 zł 10.7K
53.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$2,178 zł 8,611
-12.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Szczecinek
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,255 zł 4,962
-47.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.2
160.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Szczecinek
$530 17.3% $111
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Szczecinek
$206 30.8% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Szczecinek
$321 51.8% $109
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Szczecinek
$185 9.2% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Szczecinek
$139 17.7% $30
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Szczecinek
$42 54.9% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Szczecinek
$52 9.1% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $541 in Szczecinek. 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 91% higher in Szczecinek, 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 $44 in Szczecinek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $206 – making Szczecinek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇱 Szczecinek
🕒 Local time
22:05 10:05 PM
04:05 4:05 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
39,705
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.95 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Szczecinek 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Szczecinek

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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Szczecinek cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,213 in Szczecinek. 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 Szczecinek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $541 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Szczecinek?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $44 in Szczecinek. 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 Szczecinek?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,475 in Szczecinek. That makes Szczecinek about 10% cheaper.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Szczecinek?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,475 in Szczecinek, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Szczecinek more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Szczecinek – 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, Szczecinek is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 10% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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