Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanjan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
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Zanjan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $428 per month in Zanjan vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Zanjan $428
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $768 per month in Zanjan vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Zanjan $768
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,108 per month in Zanjan vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Zanjan $1,108
Medellin $3,186

Zanjan is about 74% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zanjan sits 69% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-62.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.14 $13.14

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-72.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 $3.03

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-68.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

Cappuccino

$0.92 $0.92

$3.01 COP 9,722

-69.44%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$1.80 COP 5,801

-72.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.41 COP 4,554

-16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.51 COP 4,869

-53.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.38 COP 7,667

-76.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.77 COP 5,712

80.79%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$2.89 COP 9,320

-57.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-55.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-66.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 $9.09

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-35.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-73.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.55 COP 5,005

-1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.18 COP 7,039

-62.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$2.18 COP 7,041

-79.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.96 COP 6,328

-72.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.59 COP 5,125

-70.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 $0.40

$1.15 COP 3,694

-65.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.24 COP 4,009

-80.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.73 $0.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-56.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 $0.19

$1.17 COP 3,766

-83.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 $9.85

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-87.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.27 COP 4,089

-75.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$2.05 COP 6,603

-84.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 $1.02

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-88.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 $0.03

$1.35 COP 4,343

-97.78%

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

$49.9K $49.9K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

46.38%

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

$46.7K $46.7K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

34.57%

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

$13.19 $13.19

$170 COP 547.0K

-92.23%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-88.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.00 $4.00

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-85.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.35 $12.35

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-71.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.66 $12.66

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-26.35%

Cinema Ticket

$2.04 $2.04

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-70.48%

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

$106 $106

$797 COP 2.6M

-86.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,544 $2,544

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-72.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 $26.95

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-68.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 $37.23

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-35.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$135 COP 435.2K

-12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 $74.3

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 $136

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-88.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 $99.0

$642 COP 2.1M

-84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 $384

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-81.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-68.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$809 $809

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-80.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$473 $473

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-75.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 $285

$657 COP 2.1M

-56.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

110.24%

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

Last update for Zanjan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Zanjan

$115 26.9%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 46.6% $54

Groceries & Markets

Zanjan

$115 26.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 159% $182

Accommodation & Living

Zanjan

$99 23.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 548% $543

Eating Out

Zanjan

$51 12%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 230% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanjan

$19 4.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 1026% $193

Sport & Entertainment

Zanjan

$16 3.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 250% $41

Getting Around

Zanjan

$13 2.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 648% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Zanjan 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 Medellin are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $13 in Zanjan versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $297 – making Zanjan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

8 h 30 min behind Zanjan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,851

2,486,723

💱 Currency

USD USD

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,598 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zanjan Medellin 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanjan
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zanjan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 283%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $642 per month in Zanjan 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 Zanjan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Zanjan 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 $428 in Zanjan and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Zanjan about 74% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanjan, where all-in costs run around $428, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zanjan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zanjan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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