Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $893 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pleven
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Pleven Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$893

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pleven and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pleven and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $893 per month in Pleven vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Pleven $893
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Pleven vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Pleven $1,425
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,956 per month in Pleven vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Pleven $1,956
Medellin $3,199

Pleven is about 45% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pleven sits 34% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 BGN 14.64

$8.30 COP 26.3K

1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.36 BGN 51.1

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-37.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 BGN 10.90

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-32.25%

Cappuccino

$2.09 BGN 3.64

$3.05 COP 9,676

-31.48%

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

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$1.80 COP 5,707

-29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 BGN 1.97

$1.38 COP 4,382

-18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BGN 3.84

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 BGN 4.00

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-58.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 BGN 2.83

$1.50 COP 4,760

8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 BGN 1.98

$2.37 COP 7,508

-51.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$1.70 COP 5,377

-1.76%

Eggs

$3.58 BGN 6.23

$2.96 COP 9,379

20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 BGN 15.93

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 BGN 14.33

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-15.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 BGN 24.70

$13.90 COP 44.1K

2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-69.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.53 COP 4,839

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.89

$2.22 COP 7,052

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 BGN 3.87

$2.27 COP 7,194

-2.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 BGN 2.03

$1.99 COP 6,311

-41.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.87

$1.67 COP 5,285

-35.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.85

$1.18 COP 3,742

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.23

$1.24 COP 3,919

-42.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 BGN 6.30

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-6.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 BGN 11.18

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-53.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$1.66 COP 5,256

-53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 BGN 2.08

$2.40 COP 7,615

-50.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$1.24 COP 3,944

-25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 BGN 70.7

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-48.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 BGN 2.79

$1.28 COP 4,044

25.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$2.15 COP 6,803

-60.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 BGN 21.25

$8.37 COP 26.5K

45.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$1.35 COP 4,288

23.70%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-13.70%

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

$24.4K BGN 42.5K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-29.53%

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

$95.9 BGN 167

$167 COP 528.4K

-42.43%

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

$16.22 BGN 28.22

$13.62 COP 43.2K

19.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.87 BGN 18.91

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-62.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 BGN 62.2

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-20.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.07 BGN 41.88

$17.18 COP 54.5K

40.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 BGN 15.33

$6.97 COP 22.1K

26.40%

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

$519 BGN 903

$790 COP 2.5M

-34.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,309 BGN 11.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-30.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.92 BGN 72.9

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-52.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 BGN 50.1

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-50.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 BGN 165

$139 COP 440.7K

-31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$98.9 COP 313.5K

3.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 BGN 579

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 BGN 302

$620 COP 2.0M

-71.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 BGN 989

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-69.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 BGN 580

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-66.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,454 BGN 2,530

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 BGN 1,977

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-33.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 BGN 1,591

$663 COP 2.1M

37.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

10.94

-74.22%

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

Last update for Pleven: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pleven

$236 26.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 26.4% $62

Accommodation & Living

Pleven

$174 19.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 257% $446

Eating Out

Pleven

$136 15.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 25.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pleven

$123 13.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 70.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Pleven

$121 13.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 43.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Pleven

$53 6%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 10.6% $5.6

Getting Around

Pleven

$50 5.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 89.8% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Pleven versus $1,028 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 38% higher in Pleven, 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 $29.00 in Pleven versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $298 – making Pleven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Pleven

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

05:49 5:49 AM

8 h behind Pleven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,567

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pleven Medellin 10,350 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Pleven
Medellin

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

Pleven vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,340 per month in Pleven and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pleven, 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 $29.00 in Pleven and $47.00 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 $893 in Pleven and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 82%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pleven, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Pleven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pleven – 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 Pleven. 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.