Cost of Living Comparison Between Baabda and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Baabda and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $994 in Baabda versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Baabda versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Baabda versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Baabda costs roughly 42% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baabda is 28% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

$8.03 COP 25.3K

48.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 LBP 5.7M

$48.26 COP 152.0K

31.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 LBP 899.2K

$9.77 COP 30.8K

2.87%

Cappuccino

$4.63 LBP 414.3K

$2.91 COP 9,167

59.11%

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

$2.31 LBP 207.0K

$1.94 COP 6,122

19.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

$1.52 COP 4,792

-43.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 LBP 438.3K

$3.09 COP 9,740

58.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 LBP 455.7K

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-11.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 LBP 175.0K

$1.36 COP 4,296

44.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

$2.39 COP 7,519

-64.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 LBP 194.0K

$1.70 COP 5,356

27.65%

Eggs

$3.49 LBP 312.7K

$2.87 COP 9,038

21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 LBP 1.2M

$9.94 COP 31.3K

33.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 LBP 961.0K

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 LBP 1.3M

$14.73 COP 46.4K

-4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 LBP 279.2K

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-23.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 LBP 153.7K

$1.57 COP 4,950

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

$2.13 COP 6,695

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 LBP 138.1K

$2.21 COP 6,972

-30.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 LBP 125.6K

$2.05 COP 6,447

-31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 LBP 147.3K

$1.50 COP 4,737

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 LBP 104.8K

$1.19 COP 3,747

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

$1.16 COP 3,647

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 LBP 261.2K

$3.90 COP 12.3K

-25.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 LBP 907.1K

$14.44 COP 45.5K

-29.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

$1.58 COP 4,987

-18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 LBP 229.5K

$2.83 COP 8,905

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 LBP 460.5K

$1.28 COP 4,045

301.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

$2.09 COP 6,589

6.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

$8.62 COP 27.1K

158.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

$1.30 COP 4,088

-20.00%

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

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

$27.7K COP 87.1M

96.65%

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

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

$35.5K COP 111.8M

-7.98%

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

$230 LBP 20.6M

$176 COP 554.5K

30.86%

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

$23.49 LBP 2.1M

$13.37 COP 42.1K

75.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

$29.89 COP 94.1K

26.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 LBP 893.3K

$6.20 COP 19.5K

60.97%

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

$681 LBP 61.0M

$793 COP 2.5M

-14.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 962.2M

$9,019 COP 28.4M

19.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 LBP 4.4M

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-16.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 LBP 12.4M

$136 COP 429.3K

1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 LBP 10.8M

$103 COP 324.7K

17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

0.55%

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

Last update for Baabda: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Baabda vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $303, with Baabda cheaper for home cooking.

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

Baabda vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baabda and Medellin differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($994 vs $1,716 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,490 in Baabda and $2,574 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $681 in Baabda versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Baabda versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.