Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zanjan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
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Zanjan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zanjan

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $428 in Zanjan, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Zanjan $428

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $768 in Zanjan, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Zanjan $768

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,108 in Zanjan, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zanjan $1,108

Medellin costs about 283% more than Zanjan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zanjan is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.07 $3.07

163.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$13.14 $13.14

258.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.03 $3.03

213.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$0.92 $0.92

227.17%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.49 $0.49

267.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.18 $1.18

19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.70 $0.70

115.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.57 $0.57

317.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.20 $3.20

-44.69%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.23 $1.23

134.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.54 $4.54

124.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.27 $3.27

201.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.09 $9.09

53.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.06 $1.06

274.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.52 $1.52

1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$0.82 $0.82

165.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.45 $0.45

384.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.53 $0.53

269.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.47 $0.47

238.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.40 $0.40

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.24 $0.24

416.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.73 $0.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.73 $1.73

128.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.19 $0.19

515.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$9.85 $9.85

685.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.31 $0.31

309.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.31 $0.31

561.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.02 $1.02

738.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.03 $0.03

4400.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$49.9K $49.9K

-31.69%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$46.7K $46.7K

-25.69%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$13.19 $13.19

1186.20%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$1.57 $1.57

763.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$4.00 $4.00

601.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$12.35 $12.35

253.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$12.66 $12.66

35.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.04 $2.04

238.73%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$106 $106

650.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,544 $2,544

258.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$26.95 $26.95

214.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$37.23 $37.23

55.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$118 $118

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$74.3 $74.3

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$136 $136

789.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$99.0 $99.0

548.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$384 $384

427.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$314 $314

221.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$809 $809

415.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$473 $473

303.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$285 $285

130.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-52.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zanjan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Zanjan

$99 23.1% 84.6% $543

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Zanjan

$115 26.8% 61.4% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Zanjan

$19 4.4% 91.1% $193

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Zanjan

$51 12% 69.7% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Zanjan

$115 26.9% 31.8% $54

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Zanjan

$13 2.9% 86.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Zanjan

$16 3.8% 71.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $136 in Zanjan. 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 2.3 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $13 in Zanjan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $115 – making Zanjan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

386,851

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Zanjan 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Zanjan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 283%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $642 in Zanjan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanjan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $13 in Zanjan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $428 in Zanjan. That makes Zanjan about 74% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanjan, where all-in costs run around $428, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zanjan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zanjan – 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 Zanjan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.