Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turnhout and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,127 in Turnhout, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Turnhout
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,127
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Turnhout vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Turnhout $2,127
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,076 per month in Turnhout vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Turnhout $3,076
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,024 per month in Turnhout vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Turnhout $4,024
  • Medellin $3,190

Turnhout costs about 32% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Turnhout and Medellin sit above the global median – Turnhout by 58%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.68 €20.17
$7.93 COP 25.2K
186.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.0 €57.0
$46.13 COP 146.3K
38.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.58 €13.86
$9.50 COP 30.1K
64.00%
Cappuccino
$4.25 €3.78
$3.11 COP 9,866
36.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 €2.75
$1.83 COP 5,800
68.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.38 COP 4,360
97.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 €4.62
$3.05 COP 9,672
70.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.67 €4.16
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-15.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.45 COP 4,600
-25.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 €1.45
$2.36 COP 7,496
-30.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.68 COP 5,328
26.79%
Eggs
$3.98 €3.54
$2.86 COP 9,077
39.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.93 €8.83
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-2.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.11
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-4.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.36 €17.22
$14.04 COP 44.5K
37.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 €2.47
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-31.94%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$1.50 COP 4,742
60.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.17 COP 6,891
15.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.85 €2.53
$2.31 COP 7,310
23.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.93 COP 6,113
9.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.64 COP 5,196
17.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.13 COP 3,571
-3.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.25 COP 3,954
-14.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.99 €11.55
$3.99 COP 12.6K
225.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.06 €4.50
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-62.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.70 COP 5,384
-3.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$2.37 COP 7,525
-
🚌 Getting Around
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 €2.46
$1.21 COP 3,827
128.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.54 €44.07
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-35.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.30 €10.05
$1.32 COP 4,179
756.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.93 €2.61
$2.14 COP 6,774
36.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.3 €46.56
$8.47 COP 26.8K
517.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.30 COP 4,114
48.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €30.9K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
24.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.7K €29.9K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-4.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €200
$172 COP 545.6K
30.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.17 €18.83
$13.37 COP 42.4K
58.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.30 €42.07
$28.73 COP 91.1K
64.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$125 €111
$45.24 COP 143.5K
175.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.43 €19.95
$17.04 COP 54.0K
31.63%
Cinema Ticket
$13.60 €12.10
$6.28 COP 19.9K
116.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$547 €487
$770 COP 2.4M
-28.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.1K €18.7K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
133.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 €94.0
$86.4 COP 274.0K
22.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.94 €41.75
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-17.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €95.9
$137 COP 432.9K
-21.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 €132
$97.9 COP 310.4K
51.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$910 €809
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-13.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 €699
$616 COP 2.0M
27.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,236 €1,100
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-34.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 €983
$1,023 COP 3.2M
8.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turnhout
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,592 €2,305
$652 COP 2.1M
297.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
10.94
-70.75%

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

Last update for Turnhout: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Turnhout
$786
Medellin
$616 21.6% $170
Eating Out
Turnhout
$338
Medellin
$168 50.1% $169
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turnhout
$294
Medellin
$214 27.1% $79
Groceries & Markets
Turnhout
$288
Medellin
$295 2.3% $6.6
Clothing & Footwear
Turnhout
$184
Medellin
$170 7.6% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Turnhout
$152
Medellin
$58 61.9% $94
Getting Around
Turnhout
$87
Medellin
$93 7.8% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Turnhout versus $1,055 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 297% higher in Turnhout, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Turnhout versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Turnhout vs $295 in Medellin – so Turnhout wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Turnhout
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
00:34 12:34 AM
17:34 5:34 PM
7 h behind Turnhout
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Turnhout Medellin 8,810 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Turnhout
  • 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
Turnhout vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Turnhout?
Yes – Turnhout is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Turnhout and $2,421 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Turnhout or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Turnhout and $46.00 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 Turnhout and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,127 in Turnhout and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 32%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Turnhout or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Turnhout at $2,127. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Turnhout it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Turnhout or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Turnhout or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Turnhout makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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