Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zabrze Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zabrze

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,594 in Zabrze, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,212 in Zabrze, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,830 in Zabrze, rent included.

Medellin costs about 5% more than Zabrze, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Zabrze sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Zabrze by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$10.57 zł 40.18

-24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$36.65 zł 139

30.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.22 zł 35.06

7.27%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.93 zł 14.93

-20.36%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.39 zł 9.08

-20.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.96 zł 7.46

-22.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.68 zł 13.99

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.77 zł 18.13

20.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.93 zł 3.55

54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.29 zł 4.92

93.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.57 zł 5.98

12.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.51 zł 13.36

-15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.40 zł 31.96

19.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.64 zł 21.44

79.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.31 zł 46.79

16.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.11 zł 4.24

272.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.52 zł 5.80

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.53 zł 5.83

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.76 zł 10.48

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.93 zł 3.55

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.81 zł 3.09

90.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.35 zł 5.12

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.63 zł 2.41

107.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.07 zł 23.08

-35.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.72 zł 25.57

108.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.10 zł 4.18

58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.68 zł 6.38

70.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.15 zł 4.37

6.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$30.72 zł 117

161.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.81 zł 6.90

-27.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.78 zł 2.98

180.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$10.72 zł 40.75

-18.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.63 zł 6.19

-15.95%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$32.1K zł 121.9K

-13.16%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.8K zł 105.8K

28.55%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$355 zł 1,349

-50.02%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.39 zł 39.53

33.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$17.96 zł 68.3

65.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$39.67 zł 151

13.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$19.67 zł 74.8

-12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.96 zł 30.26

-16.46%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$495 zł 1,881

64.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$12.6K zł 48.1K

-27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$72.7 zł 276

23.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$32.72 zł 124

80.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$94.5 zł 359

46.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$96.0 zł 365

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$686 zł 2,610

54.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$545 zł 2,073

21.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,018 zł 3,872

85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$851 zł 3,236

20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,351 zł 12.7K

24.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,126 zł 8,085

-21.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.17

52.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Zabrze: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $686 in Zabrze. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Zabrze. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $207 – making Zabrze the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Zabrze: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $2,391 in Zabrze. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabrze, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $37.00 in Zabrze. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,594 in Zabrze. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zabrze, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Zabrze it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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