Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $913 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Shumen, Bulgaria
Medellin, Colombia
Shumen
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$913
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Shumen vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Shumen $913
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,422 per month in Shumen vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Shumen $1,422
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Shumen vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Shumen $1,931
  • Medellin $3,186

Shumen is about 44% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shumen sits 33% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.14 BGN 15.99
$8.09 COP 26.1K
12.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.66 BGN 60.7
$47.05 COP 151.7K
-26.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.14 BGN 15.99
$9.50 COP 30.6K
-3.79%
Cappuccino
$1.69 BGN 2.96
$3.01 COP 9,722
-43.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 BGN 2.50
$1.80 COP 5,801
-20.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 BGN 1.87
$1.41 COP 4,554
-24.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.95 BGN 5.15
$3.18 COP 10.2K
-7.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 BGN 5.06
$5.75 COP 18.5K
-49.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 BGN 3.23
$1.51 COP 4,869
21.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.08 BGN 1.89
$2.38 COP 7,667
-54.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 BGN 4.49
$1.77 COP 5,712
45.20%
Eggs
$2.85 BGN 4.98
$2.89 COP 9,320
-1.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.11 BGN 15.94
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-10.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.11 BGN 8.95
$9.87 COP 31.8K
-48.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.86 BGN 15.51
$13.99 COP 45.1K
-36.67%
Apples (1kg)
$1.52 BGN 2.66
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-61.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 BGN 3.57
$1.55 COP 5,005
31.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 BGN 3.80
$2.18 COP 7,039
-0.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.30 BGN 4.02
$2.18 COP 7,041
5.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 BGN 3.59
$1.96 COP 6,328
4.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.25 BGN 2.20
$1.59 COP 5,125
-21.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 BGN 1.53
$1.15 COP 3,694
-23.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 BGN 1.34
$1.24 COP 4,009
-37.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.67 BGN 6.41
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-7.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.00 BGN 12.25
$13.68 COP 44.1K
-48.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 BGN 1.69
$1.66 COP 5,352
-41.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 BGN 2.57
$2.26 COP 7,281
-34.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 BGN 1.54
$1.17 COP 3,766
-24.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.12 BGN 45.72
$77.4 COP 249.5K
-66.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.76 BGN 3.07
$1.27 COP 4,089
38.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 BGN 0.93
$2.05 COP 6,603
-74.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.55 COP 27.6K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.59 BGN 2.78
$1.35 COP 4,343
17.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K BGN 54.1K
$34.1K COP 109.8M
-9.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K BGN 39.1K
$34.7K COP 111.8M
-35.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 BGN 232
$170 COP 547.0K
-21.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.68 BGN 30.94
$13.55 COP 43.7K
30.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.94 BGN 29.64
$28.07 COP 90.5K
-39.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.15 BGN 66.8
$43.70 COP 140.9K
-12.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.41 BGN 19.97
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-33.62%
Cinema Ticket
$7.04 BGN 12.32
$6.91 COP 22.3K
1.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$561 BGN 982
$797 COP 2.6M
-29.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K BGN 18.4K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
15.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.91 BGN 83.8
$84.7 COP 273.2K
-43.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.6 BGN 90.4
$58.0 COP 186.9K
-10.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.2 BGN 165
$135 COP 435.2K
-30.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.6 BGN 106
$97.9 COP 315.6K
-38.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$263 BGN 460
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-78.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$180 BGN 315
$642 COP 2.1M
-71.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$427 BGN 748
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-78.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 BGN 584
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-67.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,231 BGN 2,154
$4,170 COP 13.4M
-70.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$997 BGN 1,744
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-47.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shumen
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,024 BGN 1,792
$657 COP 2.1M
55.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.25
10.94
-70.29%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Shumen
$214
Medellin
$297 39.1% $83
Accommodation & Living
Shumen
$180
Medellin
$642 257% $462
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shumen
$167
Medellin
$211 26.3% $44
Eating Out
Shumen
$151
Medellin
$170 12.1% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Shumen
$114
Medellin
$169 47.7% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Shumen
$52
Medellin
$58 10.1% $5.3
Getting Around
Shumen
$34
Medellin
$94 175% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Shumen 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 56% higher in Shumen, 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 $35 in Shumen versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $297 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Shumen
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
23:15 11:15 PM
16:15 4:15 PM
7 h behind Shumen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
85,504
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Shumen Medellin 10,530 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Shumen
  • 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
Shumen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shumen cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Shumen and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shumen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Shumen or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Shumen and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Shumen and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $913 in Shumen and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Shumen about 44% cheaper.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Shumen or in Medellin?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Shumen or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Shumen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Shumen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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