✦ Compare
Istanbul vs
Medellín
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Istanbul, TR vs Medellín, CO at a glance — Medellín, CO is 9% cheaper than Istanbul, TR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $550/mo versus $650/mo. Top income tax: 39% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Medellín, CO, you'd need
$68,446 / year
Medellín, CO is 9% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Medellín, CO vs Istanbul, TR)
- Housing-24%
- Food & groceries-8%
- Transport0%
- Utilities-8%
- Healthcare+22%
- Goods & services-3%
◎ How Istanbul, TR and Medellín, CO compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Istanbul, TR | Medellín, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 54 | 49 |
| Housing | 55 | 42 |
| Food | 52 | 48 |
| Transport | 40 | 40 |
| Utilities | 60 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 45 | 55 |
| Goods & services | 60 | 58 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $650/mo | $550/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $400/mo | $350/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,300/mo | $1,100/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $2,500 | $1,800 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,852 | $2,029 |
| Inexpensive meal | $6 | $5 |
| Monthly transit pass | $30 | $40 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 39% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 19% |
| Social security (employee) | 15% | — |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 35% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $700/mo | $450/mo |
| Minimum wage | $720/mo✓ | $330/mo |
| GDP per capita | $15,666✓ | $6,976✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 44%✓ | 5.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 50 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 63 | 59 |
| Safety index | 58 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 65 | 70 |
| Pollution index | 62 | 55 |
| Internet speed | 60 Mbps | 80 Mbps |
| Walkability | 70 | 55 |
| Public transport | 72 | 68 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 58 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 78 yr✓ | 74 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Low | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +6 °C | +22 °C |
| July avg | +24 °C | +22 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 190 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 810 mm | 1,600 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 3 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Turkey vs Colombia. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Istanbul vs Medellín — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Istanbul
The only megacity straddling two continents — 15 million people where Europe meets Asia. Big-city energy, deep history and world-class food at a fraction of Western-European prices, offset by a volatile lira and long cross-Bosphorus commutes.
- Currency
- Turkish lira (₺ TRY)
- Languages
- Turkish
- Time zone
- UTC+3
- Internet
- 60 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 58/100
- Climate
- ❄ 6°C · ☀ 24°C · 190 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- C/F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Kadıköy · Beşiktaş · Cihangir · Şişli
Good to know before you move to Medellín
A dramatic turnaround story with a year-round spring climate and a modern metro. El Poblado and Laureles anchor a booming nomad scene; costs are low and healthcare excellent, but safety still varies sharply by neighbourhood.
- Currency
- Colombian peso ($ COP)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 80 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 48/100
- Climate
- ❄ 22°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 110V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- El Poblado · Laureles · Envigado · Belén
Plan your move to Istanbul
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- MoreAvitoVIP
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Plan your move to Medellín
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Istanbul to Medellín: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Istanbul to Medellín, your cost of living will be roughly 9% cheaper. Medellín’s cost-of-living index is 49 versus 54 for Istanbul (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Istanbul cheaper than Medellín?
Medellín is about 9% cheaper than Istanbul overall — its cost-of-living index is 49 versus 54 for Istanbul.
Which is more expensive, Istanbul or Medellín?
Istanbul is more expensive than Medellín. Its cost-of-living index is 54 vs 49 (US = 100) — about 10% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Istanbul or Medellín?
Rent is cheaper in Medellín — about $550/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $650 in Istanbul.
How much do you need to earn in Medellín to live like in Istanbul?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Istanbul is worth about $68,446 in Medellín. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Istanbul or Medellín?
Colombia has the lower top income-tax rate — 39% versus 40% in Turkey.
◷ More comparisons from Istanbul
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.