Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,372 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Suwon, South Korea
Medellin, Colombia
Suwon
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,372
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Suwon vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Suwon $1,372
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,163 per month in Suwon vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Suwon $2,163
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Suwon vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Suwon $2,954
  • Medellin $3,186

Suwon is about 16% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.06 ₩8,118
$8.09 COP 25.6K
-25.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.93 ₩40.1K
$47.05 COP 148.9K
-36.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.65 ₩10.3K
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-19.47%
Cappuccino
$3.41 ₩4,572
$3.01 COP 9,540
13.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ₩2,100
$1.80 COP 5,693
-12.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₩790
$1.41 COP 4,469
-58.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.83 ₩5,136
$3.18 COP 10.0K
20.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.77 ₩6,390
$5.75 COP 18.2K
-17.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.60 ₩3,491
$1.51 COP 4,778
72.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 ₩3,482
$2.38 COP 7,524
9.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.36 ₩4,510
$1.77 COP 5,606
89.83%
Eggs
$3.17 ₩4,249
$2.89 COP 9,146
9.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.15 ₩14.9K
$10.19 COP 32.2K
9.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.64 ₩15.6K
$9.87 COP 31.2K
17.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.39 ₩15.3K
$13.99 COP 44.3K
-18.58%
Apples (1kg)
$6.22 ₩8,338
$3.97 COP 12.6K
56.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.93 ₩3,925
$1.55 COP 4,911
89.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.30 ₩7,100
$2.18 COP 6,907
143.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.40 ₩5,904
$2.18 COP 6,910
101.83%
Potato (1kg)
$3.47 ₩4,646
$1.96 COP 6,210
77.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 ₩3,669
$1.59 COP 5,029
72.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.94 ₩6,619
$1.15 COP 3,625
329.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 ₩1,821
$1.24 COP 3,934
9.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73 ₩5,000
$3.96 COP 12.5K
-5.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.45 ₩18.0K
$13.68 COP 43.3K
-1.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 ₩3,393
$1.66 COP 5,252
52.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 ₩5,169
$2.26 COP 7,145
70.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 ₩1,658
$1.17 COP 3,696
5.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.67 ₩65.2K
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-37.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.88 ₩3,861
$1.27 COP 4,013
126.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₩842
$2.05 COP 6,480
-69.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.98 ₩12.0K
$8.55 COP 27.1K
5.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ₩1,771
$1.35 COP 4,262
-2.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K ₩38.5M
$34.1K COP 107.8M
-15.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K ₩33.8M
$34.7K COP 109.7M
-27.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$186 ₩248.9K
$170 COP 536.8K
9.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.20 ₩24.4K
$13.55 COP 42.9K
34.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.99 ₩24.1K
$28.07 COP 88.8K
-35.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.73 ₩58.6K
$43.70 COP 138.3K
0.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.82 ₩15.8K
$17.19 COP 54.4K
-31.24%
Cinema Ticket
$11.19 ₩15.0K
$6.91 COP 21.9K
61.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 ₩926.5K
$797 COP 2.5M
-13.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K ₩24.5M
$9,112 COP 28.8M
100.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.03 ₩49.6K
$84.7 COP 268.1K
-56.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$109 ₩146.5K
$58.0 COP 183.4K
88.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.5 ₩102.5K
$135 COP 427.1K
-43.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.0 ₩80.4K
$97.9 COP 309.7K
-38.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$438 ₩587.3K
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-63.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$352 ₩471.8K
$642 COP 2.0M
-45.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ₩1.6M
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-41.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$819 ₩1.1M
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-19.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.6K ₩16.9M
$4,170 COP 13.2M
201.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,074 ₩9.5M
$1,910 COP 6.0M
270.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Suwon
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,638 ₩3.5M
$657 COP 2.1M
301.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
10.94
-40.59%

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

Last update for Suwon: 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
Suwon
$395
Medellin
$297 24.8% $98
Accommodation & Living
Suwon
$352
Medellin
$642 82.3% $290
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suwon
$222
Medellin
$211 4.8% $11
Eating Out
Suwon
$150
Medellin
$170 13.3% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Suwon
$127
Medellin
$169 32.8% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Suwon
$66
Medellin
$58 13% $8.6
Getting Around
Suwon
$60
Medellin
$94 56.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Suwon 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 Suwon are about 4 times higher, 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 $30 in Suwon versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $395 in Suwon vs $297 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Suwon
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
22:04 10:04 PM
08:04 8:04 AM
14 h behind Suwon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,203,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Suwon Medellin 14,630 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Suwon
  • 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
Suwon vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suwon cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,057 per month in Suwon 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 Suwon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $438 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Suwon or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Suwon 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 Suwon and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Suwon and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Suwon about 16% cheaper.
Is $2,000 enough for either Suwon or Medellin?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,372 in Suwon and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Suwon or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Suwon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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