Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,214 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Medellin, Colombia
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,214
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Bali vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Bali $1,214
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Bali vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Bali $2,047
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,880 per month in Bali vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Bali $2,880
  • Medellin $3,186

Bali is about 26% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Bali sits 11% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.73 Rp 49.2K
$8.09 COP 25.4K
-66.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.91 Rp 521.1K
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-38.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.56 Rp 82.2K
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-52.00%
Cappuccino
$2.26 Rp 40.8K
$3.01 COP 9,485
-24.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 Rp 25.7K
$1.80 COP 5,660
-20.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 Rp 12.3K
$1.41 COP 4,443
-51.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.1K
$3.18 COP 9,990
-29.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 Rp 66.4K
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-36.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 26.8K
$1.51 COP 4,751
-1.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.3K
$2.38 COP 7,480
-8.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 Rp 20.5K
$1.77 COP 5,573
-35.59%
Eggs
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
$2.89 COP 9,093
-30.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.81 Rp 302.9K
$10.19 COP 32.1K
64.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.57 Rp 64.4K
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-63.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.31 Rp 203.8K
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-19.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.44 Rp 62.1K
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-13.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.3K
$1.55 COP 4,883
-2.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$2.18 COP 6,867
0.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$2.18 COP 6,870
-13.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 Rp 30.8K
$1.96 COP 6,174
-12.76%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
$1.59 COP 5,000
45.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$1.15 COP 3,604
-13.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 Rp 9,010
$1.24 COP 3,911
-59.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.03 Rp 36.6K
$3.96 COP 12.5K
-48.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.49 Rp 387.4K
$13.68 COP 43.0K
57.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 Rp 38.5K
$1.66 COP 5,222
28.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 Rp 51.7K
$2.26 COP 7,104
26.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,533
$1.17 COP 3,674
-78.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 159.0K
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-88.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,102
$1.27 COP 3,989
-64.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 Rp 7,925
$2.05 COP 6,442
-78.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 Rp 98.8K
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-35.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
$1.35 COP 4,237
-34.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 438.0M
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-28.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 575.8M
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-7.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$170 COP 533.7K
-52.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.55 Rp 118.1K
$13.55 COP 42.6K
-51.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.48 Rp 333.1K
$28.07 COP 88.3K
-34.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.66 Rp 732.9K
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-6.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.93 Rp 269.0K
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-13.15%
Cinema Ticket
$3.67 Rp 66.1K
$6.91 COP 21.7K
-46.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$797 COP 2.5M
-45.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,063 Rp 91.3M
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-44.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.62 Rp 786.3K
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-48.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.69 Rp 589.3K
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-43.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
$135 COP 424.6K
-45.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.3 Rp 1.3M
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-24.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$984 Rp 17.7M
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-18.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$583 Rp 10.5M
$642 COP 2.0M
-9.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,121 Rp 56.2M
$2,028 COP 6.4M
53.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 Rp 26.6M
$1,012 COP 3.2M
45.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,447 Rp 44.1M
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-41.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,963 Rp 35.4M
$1,910 COP 6.0M
2.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
$657 COP 2.1M
-67.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
10.94
25.96%

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

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$583
Medellin
$642 10.1% $59
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$275
Medellin
$297 7.9% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Medellin
$211 101% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Medellin
$169 67.5% $68
Eating Out
Bali
$90
Medellin
$170 89.3% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$48
Medellin
$58 19.9% $9.5
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Medellin
$94 650% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Bali 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 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $297 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
12:25 12:25 PM
23:25 11:25 PM
13 h behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,095 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,507 COP (10,000 COP = 2.85 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Medellin 18,790 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • 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
Bali vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Medellin?
Medellin costs about 35% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bali and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,821 per month in Bali and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $984 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
How do dining costs compare in Bali and in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Bali compared to Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,214 in Bali and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 35%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bali or in Medellin?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,214 in Bali and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Medellin?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,214 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Bali or to Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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