Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahir Dar and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $374 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bahir Dar

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$374

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $374 per month in Bahir Dar vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Bahir Dar $374
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $568 per month in Bahir Dar vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Bahir Dar $568
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $763 per month in Bahir Dar vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Bahir Dar $763
Medellin $3,186

Bahir Dar is about 77% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bahir Dar sits 73% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 ETB 552

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-57.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$1.02 ETB 164

$3.01 COP 9,735

-66.11%

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

$0.41 ETB 66.7

$1.80 COP 5,809

-77.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ETB 78.0

$1.41 COP 4,561

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 ETB 116

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-77.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ETB 315

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-65.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ETB 157

$1.51 COP 4,876

-35.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ETB 164

$2.38 COP 7,678

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ETB 163

$1.77 COP 5,720

-42.94%

Eggs

$1.77 ETB 285

$2.89 COP 9,333

-38.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 ETB 1,619

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-28.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ETB 488

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ETB 157

$1.55 COP 5,012

-37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ETB 327

$2.18 COP 7,048

-6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 ETB 127

$2.18 COP 7,051

-63.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ETB 99.6

$1.96 COP 6,337

-68.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ETB 190

$1.59 COP 5,132

-25.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ETB 164

$1.15 COP 3,699

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ETB 82.8

$1.24 COP 4,014

-58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$4.03 ETB 649

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-70.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ETB 125

$1.66 COP 5,359

-53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ETB 313

$2.26 COP 7,291

-14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 ETB 77.3

$2.05 COP 6,612

-76.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ETB 316

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-76.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ETB 164

$1.35 COP 4,349

-24.44%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$101 ETB 16.2K

$170 COP 547.8K

-40.58%

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

$10.15 ETB 1,634

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-25.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ETB 8,184

$43.70 COP 141.1K

16.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.5 ETB 9,728

$17.19 COP 55.5K

251.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ETB 981

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-11.72%

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

$49.48 ETB 7,962

$797 COP 2.6M

-93.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 ETB 7,900

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 ETB 328.1K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-51.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ETB 241.7K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 ETB 32.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-69.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Bahir Dar

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Medellin are about 3.3 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Bahir Dar

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

00:26 12:26 AM

8 h behind Bahir Dar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR).

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 ETB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bahir Dar Medellin 12,340 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Bahir Dar
Medellin

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

Bahir Dar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 338% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $561 per month in Bahir Dar and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $374 in Bahir Dar and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Bahir Dar about 77% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 138% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $374, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $374 in Bahir Dar to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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