Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,464 per month in Olsztyn vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,997 per month in Olsztyn vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,531 per month in Olsztyn vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Olsztyn costs about 45% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Olsztyn sits 9% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 zł 38.84

$5.99 COP 21.4K

77.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 zł 169

$32.86 COP 117.4K

41.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 zł 27.37

$7.09 COP 25.3K

5.92%

Cappuccino

$2.96 zł 10.80

$1.71 COP 6,115

73.10%

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

$1.69 zł 6.16

$1.10 COP 3,924

53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 zł 6.69

$0.78 COP 2,781

135.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 zł 11.94

$1.68 COP 5,997

94.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 zł 13.93

$3.07 COP 11.0K

24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.03

$1.09 COP 3,906

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 zł 4.82

$1.26 COP 4,508

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.46

$1.38 COP 4,922

8.70%

Eggs

$3.45 zł 12.59

$2.19 COP 7,827

57.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 zł 32.40

$4.40 COP 15.7K

102.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 zł 21.92

$5.63 COP 20.1K

6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 zł 36.69

$8.89 COP 31.8K

13.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.00

$2.34 COP 8,349

-52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 zł 5.75

$1.06 COP 3,777

49.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 zł 7.43

$1.50 COP 5,374

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 zł 10.14

$1.38 COP 4,924

101.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 zł 2.89

$1.15 COP 4,111

-31.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.50

$1.16 COP 4,155

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 zł 4.19

$0.89 COP 3,182

29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.46

$0.84 COP 2,997

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 zł 20.30

$2.28 COP 8,145

144.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 zł 29.68

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-23.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 zł 3.71

$1.20 COP 4,284

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.23

$2.47 COP 8,824

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.08

$0.86 COP 3,056

30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.10 zł 98.8

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-34.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.21

$1.47 COP 5,264

34.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 zł 2.69

$1.96 COP 7,009

-62.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.79 zł 50.3

$7.74 COP 27.6K

78.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 zł 6.48

$0.95 COP 3,409

87.37%

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

$32.8K zł 119.4K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

80.65%

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

$30.8K zł 112.3K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

16.30%

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

$271 zł 989

$82.3 COP 293.7K

229.86%

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

$9.10 zł 33.18

$9.50 COP 33.9K

-4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 zł 63.7

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-27.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 zł 119

$25.89 COP 92.4K

26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 zł 59.6

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-13.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 zł 29.18

$3.93 COP 14.0K

103.82%

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

$133 zł 486

$309 COP 1.1M

-56.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K zł 56.8K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

161.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 zł 350

$58.7 COP 209.5K

63.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.72 zł 170

$32.35 COP 115.5K

44.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 zł 302

$103 COP 366.4K

-19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 zł 394

$108 COP 387.2K

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 zł 2,332

$476 COP 1.7M

34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 zł 2,007

$379 COP 1.4M

45.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 zł 3,568

$838 COP 3.0M

16.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 zł 2,218

$724 COP 2.6M

-15.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,992 zł 14.6K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

43.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 zł 10.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

133.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,472 zł 5,364

$512 COP 1.8M

187.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

13.43

-56.74%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Olsztyn versus $476 in Medellin. 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 188% higher in Olsztyn, 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 $46.00 in Olsztyn versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $188 – making Medellin 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

Olsztyn vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Olsztyn is pricier by about 45%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,196 per month in Olsztyn and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $46.00 in Olsztyn and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,464 in Olsztyn and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Olsztyn at $1,464. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olsztyn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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