Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vac

For one person, living is cheaper in Vac: $1,313 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Vac
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Vac Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Vac

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vac

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,313 in Vac, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Vac $1,313

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,227 in Vac, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Vac $2,227

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,141 in Vac, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Vac $3,141

Medellin costs about 29% more than Vac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Vac is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$19.27 Ft 6,271

-56.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$112 Ft 36.4K

-58.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$9.45 Ft 3,076

0.21%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.50 Ft 814

25.20%

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

$1.77 COP 5,700

$1.51 Ft 493

17.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,597

$1.28 Ft 417

10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.36 Ft 767

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.34 Ft 762

143.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,946

$1.31 Ft 425

16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,394

$1.45 Ft 472

57.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,276

$2.36 Ft 767

-17.80%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,895

$3.27 Ft 1,065

-6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$8.52 Ft 2,771

17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.01 Ft 1,955

73.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$16.52 Ft 5,374

-15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.88 Ft 613

115.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,932

$2.07 Ft 674

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,791

$2.08 Ft 677

0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,402

$2.35 Ft 765

-2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,807

$1.67 Ft 542

26.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,515

$1.09 Ft 355

56.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,776

$1.39 Ft 454

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,099

$0.49 Ft 160

222.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$7.79 Ft 2,534

-49.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$4.98 Ft 1,621

181.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,685

$0.88 Ft 288

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,752

$2.13 Ft 692

27.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,807

$1.14 Ft 371

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.2K

$28.58 Ft 9,299

166.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,831

$2.75 Ft 896

-34.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,871

$1.69 Ft 551

26.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$19.20 Ft 6,247

-57.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,115

$1.85 Ft 603

-30.81%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$25.7K Ft 8.4M

33.83%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$38.6K Ft 12.6M

-11.56%

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

$178 COP 573.5K

$150 Ft 48.9K

18.31%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$23.67 Ft 7,701

-41.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$21.25 Ft 6,913

44.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$48.28 Ft 15.7K

-13.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$18.00 Ft 5,856

-6.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$8.37 Ft 2,722

-10.75%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$248 Ft 80.7K

218.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$7,786 Ft 2.5M

57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.6K

$90.4 Ft 29.4K

-4.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.2K

$31.64 Ft 10.3K

87.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.4K

$84.6 Ft 27.5K

63.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.9K

$104 Ft 33.9K

-5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$506 Ft 164.6K

165.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$394 Ft 128.1K

69.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$818 Ft 266.0K

141.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$754 Ft 245.3K

37.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$3,252 Ft 1.1M

26.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,506 Ft 815.5K

-22.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,401 Ft 455.7K

-53.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vac: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Vac

$394 30% 41% $274

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Vac

$234 17.9% 23.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Vac

$195 14.9% 12.2% $27

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Vac

$240 18.3% 39.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Vac

$140 10.7% 18.8% $32

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Vac

$44 3.4% 52.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Vac

$65 5% 14.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $506 in Vac. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Vac 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 $112 in Vac. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $234 in Vac – so Vac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇭🇺 Vac

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

18:35 6:35 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

34,001

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Vac 9,840 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Vac

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 Vac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,969 in Vac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vac, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $506 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $112 in Vac. 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 $1,313 in Vac. That makes Vac about 22% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,313 in Vac, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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