Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,987 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,987

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,987 per month in Utrecht vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Utrecht $2,987
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,205 per month in Utrecht vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Utrecht $4,205
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,423 per month in Utrecht vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Utrecht $5,423
Medellin $3,186

Utrecht costs about 82% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Utrecht and Medellin sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.74 €20.37

$8.09 COP 26.1K

181.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 €75.3

$47.05 COP 151.9K

78.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €12.14

$9.50 COP 30.7K

42.63%

Cappuccino

$4.78 €4.29

$3.01 COP 9,735

58.80%

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

$3.84 €3.44

$1.80 COP 5,809

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.04

$1.41 COP 4,561

140.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 €5.91

$3.18 COP 10.3K

107.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.41

$5.75 COP 18.6K

24.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.51 COP 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.38 COP 7,678

25.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$1.77 COP 5,720

43.50%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.19

$2.89 COP 9,333

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 €11.97

$10.19 COP 32.9K

31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 €12.47

$9.87 COP 31.9K

41.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 €16.74

$13.99 COP 45.2K

33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$1.55 COP 5,012

54.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.18 COP 7,048

-4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.39

$2.18 COP 7,051

73.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.96 COP 6,337

-11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$1.59 COP 5,132

18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.15 COP 3,699

38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.24 COP 4,014

11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.42 €12.92

$3.96 COP 12.8K

264.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-50.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.66 COP 5,359

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.26 COP 7,291

18.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 €3.18

$1.17 COP 3,771

203.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 €118

$77.4 COP 249.8K

70.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.34

$1.27 COP 4,094

193.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.44

$2.05 COP 6,612

33.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.56 €40.82

$8.55 COP 27.6K

432.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.35 COP 4,349

91.85%

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

$41.0K €36.8K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

20.43%

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

$40.1K €35.9K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

15.65%

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

$245 €220

$170 COP 547.8K

44.43%

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

$21.75 €19.49

$13.55 COP 43.8K

60.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.16 €43.16

$28.07 COP 90.6K

71.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.24 €39.64

$43.70 COP 141.1K

1.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.25 €28.00

$17.19 COP 55.5K

81.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 €13.49

$6.91 COP 22.3K

117.95%

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

$3,274 €2,934

$797 COP 2.6M

310.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,994 €7,164

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €83.5

$84.7 COP 273.5K

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 €46.14

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.9

$135 COP 435.8K

-24.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €113

$97.9 COP 316.0K

28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 €1,743

$1,208 COP 3.9M

61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 €1,396

$642 COP 2.1M

142.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,128 €2,803

$2,028 COP 6.5M

54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 €1,998

$1,012 COP 3.3M

120.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,109 €6,371

$4,170 COP 13.5M

70.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,371

$1,910 COP 6.2M

155.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 €3,803

$657 COP 2.1M

545.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

10.94

-70.48%

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

Last update for Utrecht: 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

Utrecht

$1.6K 52.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 58.8% $917

Eating Out

Utrecht

$356 11.9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 52.4% $187

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$352 11.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 15.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$315 10.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 32.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$168 5.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 0.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Utrecht

$164 5.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 42.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$74 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 22.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,945 in Utrecht 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 Utrecht are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Utrecht versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

6 h behind Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Utrecht Medellin 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Utrecht
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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

Utrecht vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Utrecht is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,481 per month in Utrecht 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,945 in Utrecht.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Utrecht 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 $2,987 in Utrecht and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 45% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Utrecht at $2,987. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utrecht it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $2,987 in Utrecht. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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