Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Plovdiv: $1,227 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,227 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,227
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Plovdiv vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,874
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,522 per month in Plovdiv vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Plovdiv $2,522
Medellin $3,186

Plovdiv is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Plovdiv sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.16 BGN 16.03

$8.09 COP 26.1K

13.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.67 BGN 79.9

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-2.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 BGN 16.51

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$2.86 BGN 5.01

$3.01 COP 9,722

-4.98%

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

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$1.80 COP 5,801

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 BGN 2.77

$1.41 COP 4,554

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 BGN 4.44

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 BGN 7.61

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-24.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.17

$1.51 COP 4,869

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 BGN 2.13

$2.38 COP 7,667

-48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.91

$1.77 COP 5,712

25.99%

Eggs

$3.77 BGN 6.59

$2.89 COP 9,320

30.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 BGN 20.33

$10.19 COP 32.9K

14.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 BGN 14.96

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-13.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 BGN 25.06

$13.99 COP 45.1K

2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.84

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-59.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$1.55 COP 5,005

18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.18 COP 7,039

-11.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 BGN 4.61

$2.18 COP 7,041

20.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$1.96 COP 6,328

-44.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.59 COP 5,125

-34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.15 COP 3,694

0.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.24

$1.24 COP 4,009

-42.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 BGN 6.82

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 BGN 10.55

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-55.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.66 COP 5,352

-30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.47

$2.26 COP 7,281

-12.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 BGN 1.05

$1.17 COP 3,766

-48.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.11 BGN 51.0

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-62.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$1.27 COP 4,089

1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$2.05 COP 6,603

-70.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BGN 18.30

$8.55 COP 27.6K

22.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$1.35 COP 4,343

25.93%

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

$30.3K BGN 53.1K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-10.94%

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

$24.6K BGN 43.1K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-29.00%

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

$113 BGN 197

$170 COP 547.0K

-33.53%

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

$18.40 BGN 32.20

$13.55 COP 43.7K

35.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.41 BGN 26.96

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-45.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.91 BGN 73.4

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-4.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.61 BGN 36.07

$17.19 COP 55.4K

19.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 BGN 16.29

$6.91 COP 22.3K

34.73%

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

$599 BGN 1,047

$797 COP 2.6M

-24.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 BGN 9,456

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-40.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 BGN 118

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-20.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 BGN 73.1

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-27.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 BGN 170

$135 COP 435.2K

-28.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 178

$97.9 COP 315.6K

4.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 BGN 968

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-54.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 BGN 734

$642 COP 2.1M

-34.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 BGN 1,539

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-56.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 BGN 1,160

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-34.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,228 BGN 3,899

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-46.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,512 BGN 2,646

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-20.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,162 BGN 2,033

$657 COP 2.1M

76.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

10.94

-71.66%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plovdiv

$420 34.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 52.9% $222

Groceries & Markets

Plovdiv

$255 20.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 16.4% $42

Eating Out

Plovdiv

$171 13.9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 0.7% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plovdiv

$147 12%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 44.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Plovdiv

$139 11.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 22% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Plovdiv

$61 4.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 5% $3

Getting Around

Plovdiv

$36 2.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 161% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Plovdiv versus $1,208 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 77% higher in Plovdiv, 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 $46 in Plovdiv versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $297 – making Plovdiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

7 h behind Plovdiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

368,983

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Plovdiv Medellin 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Plovdiv
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

Plovdiv vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,840 per month in Plovdiv and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Plovdiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $553 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Plovdiv. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,227 in Plovdiv and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Plovdiv costs $1,227 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.