Cost of Living Comparison Between Babahoyo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Babahoyo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Babahoyo versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,214 in Babahoyo versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Babahoyo versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Babahoyo costs roughly 55% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Babahoyo is 47% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 $3.55

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-55.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 $29.50

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-38.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 $6.35

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-32.59%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.94 COP 9,040

-9.86%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$1.86 COP 5,735

-59.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.46 COP 4,479

-54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.21 COP 9,882

-37.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-48.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.44 COP 4,428

-29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.40 COP 7,389

-35.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.70 COP 5,228

-7.65%

Eggs

$2.03 $2.03

$2.89 COP 8,896

-29.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$10.06 COP 30.9K

-44.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-47.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-48.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-58.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.58 COP 4,878

-32.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.15 COP 6,624

-44.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.30 COP 7,078

-53.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.00 COP 6,169

-38.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.51 COP 4,646

-32.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.20 COP 3,701

-42.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.28 COP 3,946

-17.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.84 COP 11.8K

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 $8.50

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.71 COP 5,256

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.74 COP 8,440

12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.25 COP 3,834

-72.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 $20.23

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-74.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.31 COP 4,016

-7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.17 COP 6,680

-48.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 $9.95

$8.29 COP 25.5K

20.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.36 COP 4,172

-40.44%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

-23.44%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-20.94%

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

$35.50 $35.50

$169 COP 519.2K

-78.96%

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

$12.05 $12.05

$13.57 COP 41.8K

-11.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 $26.12

$28.32 COP 87.2K

-7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 $30.07

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-34.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 $16.13

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-6.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 $6.93

$6.65 COP 20.5K

4.21%

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

$220 $220

$803 COP 2.5M

-72.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,946 $5,946

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-35.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-36.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.31 $43.31

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$139 COP 427.5K

-28.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 $75.7

$102 COP 314.0K

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 $305

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-71.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 $189

$653 COP 2.0M

-71.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 $684

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 $405

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-61.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 $1,202

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-70.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$766 $766

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-54.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.94

-8.14%

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

Last update for Babahoyo: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $305 in Babahoyo and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Babahoyo vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $300 per month, with Babahoyo cheaper across the board.

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

Babahoyo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Babahoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Babahoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,101 in Babahoyo and $2,462 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $305 in Babahoyo versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $220 in Babahoyo versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Babahoyo versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Babahoyo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Babahoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Babahoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Babahoyo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Babahoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.