Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zabol

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabol: $518 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Zabol
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Zabol Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Zabol

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zabol

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $518 in Zabol, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Zabol $518

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $812 in Zabol, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Zabol $812

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,107 in Zabol, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Zabol $1,107

Medellin costs about 227% more than Zabol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Zabol is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$1.98 $1.98

321.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$15.76 $15.76

195.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$3.98 $3.98

137.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$0.52 $0.52

501.92%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.51 $0.51

247.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.99 $0.99

43.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$0.70 $0.70

118.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$0.48 $0.48

377.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$2.06 $2.06

-5.83%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$1.24 $1.24

147.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$4.44 $4.44

125.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$3.28 $3.28

218.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$10.19 $10.19

37.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.03 $1.03

293.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.62 $1.62

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$0.81 $0.81

159.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$0.56 $0.56

308.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$0.54 $0.54

290.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$0.50 $0.50

242.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$0.57 $0.57

105.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.24 $0.24

558.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.48 $2.48

57.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.15 $0.15

686.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$9.50 $9.50

703.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$0.38 $0.38

376.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$0.29 $0.29

634.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$2.65 $2.65

206.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$0.10 $0.10

1180.00%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$50.2K $50.2K

-31.43%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$46.6K $46.6K

-26.80%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$12.87 $12.87

1280.96%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$1.53 $1.53

807.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$3.95 $3.95

678.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$18.26 $18.26

129.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$13.20 $13.20

27.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$1.94 $1.94

285.05%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$107 $107

640.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$2,365 $2,365

420.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$22.98 $22.98

275.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$27.85 $27.85

112.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$98.0 $98.0

41.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$71.0 $71.0

39.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$285 $285

370.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$213 $213

213.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$789 $789

150.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$350 $350

195.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,132 $1,132

262.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$533 $533

263.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$149 $149

333.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

24.3

-54.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zabol: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Zabol

$213 41.1% 68.1% $455

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Zabol

$114 22% 63% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Zabol

$18 3.5% 91.7% $204

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Zabol

$40 7.7% 76.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Zabol

$99 19.1% 42.6% $73

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Zabol

$12 2.3% 87.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Zabol

$22 4.3% 61.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $285 in Zabol. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Zabol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $114 – making Zabol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇷 Zabol

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

05:31 5:31 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

140,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Zabol 13,850 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zabol

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 Zabol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 227%, 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 $777 in Zabol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Zabol. 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 $518 in Zabol. That makes Zabol about 69% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Zabol, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Zabol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Zabol. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.