Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Medellin $3,186

Seoul costs about 13% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Medellin sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$8.09 COP 26.1K

11.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.2K

$47.05 COP 151.7K

45.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,812

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-22.63%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,498

$3.01 COP 9,722

36.88%

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

$1.64 ₩2,195

$1.80 COP 5,801

-8.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,077

$1.41 COP 4,554

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,952

$3.18 COP 10.2K

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,188

$5.75 COP 18.5K

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,726

$1.51 COP 4,869

35.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,286

$2.38 COP 7,667

34.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,858

$1.77 COP 5,712

148.02%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,795

$2.89 COP 9,320

24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.3K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

78.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.0K

$9.87 COP 31.8K

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩35.9K

$13.99 COP 45.1K

92.21%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$3.97 COP 12.8K

97.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,712

$1.55 COP 5,005

127.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,616

$2.18 COP 7,039

161.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,249

$2.18 COP 7,041

183.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,024

$1.96 COP 6,328

91.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,354

$1.59 COP 5,125

57.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,758

$1.15 COP 3,694

145.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,482

$1.24 COP 4,009

-10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,406

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩24.9K

$13.68 COP 44.1K

36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,229

$1.66 COP 5,352

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,483

$2.26 COP 7,281

48.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,591

$1.17 COP 3,766

1.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.6K

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-40.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$1.27 COP 4,089

179.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩806

$2.05 COP 6,603

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.1K

$8.55 COP 27.6K

6.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,920

$1.35 COP 4,343

6.67%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-11.16%

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

$28.9K ₩38.6M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-16.66%

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

$213 ₩283.7K

$170 COP 547.0K

25.28%

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

$35.83 ₩47.8K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

164.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.6K

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-23.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.3K

$43.70 COP 140.9K

41.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩21.9K

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-4.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.2K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

65.27%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$797 COP 2.6M

144.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.4M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

149.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩79.8K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.7K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-41.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.1K

$135 COP 435.2K

-51.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.3K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩880.0K

$642 COP 2.1M

2.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,012 COP 3.3M

42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.3M

$4,170 COP 13.4M

551.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

$1,910 COP 6.2M

491.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$657 COP 2.1M

443.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

10.94

-62.71%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 2.7% $18

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 38.6% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 21.7% $58

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 55.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 31.9% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 62.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul 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 in Seoul are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

09:23 9:23 AM

14 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 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 KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Medellin 14,610 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul 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 Seoul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $924 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $47 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 $1,848 in Seoul and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 11% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,848 in Seoul and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,848 in Seoul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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