Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballito and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballito and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,027 in Ballito versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Ballito versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,957 in Ballito versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ballito is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ballito 24% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 R 122

$5.95 COP 20.8K

26.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.90 R 451

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-16.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.4

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-32.09%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.29

$1.63 COP 5,687

22.70%

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

$0.90 R 14.52

$1.09 COP 3,821

-17.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R 11.40

$0.73 COP 2,548

-2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R 32.54

$1.74 COP 6,065

15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 35.62

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-31.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R 16.03

$1.05 COP 3,662

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 R 12.69

$1.29 COP 4,515

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R 23.90

$1.32 COP 4,617

12.12%

Eggs

$1.97 R 31.88

$2.27 COP 7,927

-13.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.88 R 95.0

$4.35 COP 15.2K

35.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R 70.5

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-25.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R 102

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-26.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.32

$2.25 COP 7,844

-38.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 R 21.99

$1.07 COP 3,733

27.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.25

$1.52 COP 5,322

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 R 16.40

$1.42 COP 4,964

-28.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 R 12.65

$1.17 COP 4,084

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.87

$1.17 COP 4,077

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 R 16.55

$0.89 COP 3,096

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.31

$0.90 COP 3,146

-1.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 R 50.2

$2.25 COP 7,837

38.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 79.1

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.31

$1.14 COP 3,977

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 R 27.34

$2.38 COP 8,301

-28.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 25.91

$0.84 COP 2,916

90.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.03 R 405

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-40.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 R 27.74

$1.41 COP 4,912

21.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 R 9.07

$1.90 COP 6,634

-70.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 R 110

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-12.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.75

$1.01 COP 3,509

20.79%

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

$20.3K R 328.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

15.74%

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

$22.3K R 361.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-15.69%

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

$105 R 1,703

$83.7 COP 292.1K

25.90%

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

$21.13 R 342

$9.45 COP 33.0K

123.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 R 451

$24.11 COP 84.1K

15.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.45 R 508

$25.31 COP 88.3K

24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.17 R 181

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-41.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 R 87.9

$4.10 COP 14.3K

32.68%

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

$139 R 2,254

$312 COP 1.1M

-55.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,513 R 40.6K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-58.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.82 R 692

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-26.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.60 R 479

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-9.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 R 893

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-44.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 R 1,190

$109 COP 378.8K

-32.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 R 5,790

$482 COP 1.7M

-25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 R 7,258

$379 COP 1.3M

18.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 R 11.1K

$837 COP 2.9M

-17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 R 11.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

-6.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,501 R 24.3K

$541 COP 1.9M

177.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

13.43

-10.57%

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

Last update for Ballito: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Ballito and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 178% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Ballito vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $190 per month, with Ballito 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

Ballito vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ballito pays 178% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $358 in Ballito versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $28.00 in Ballito. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,027 per month in Ballito versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,027 in Ballito, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ballito. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ballito, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ballito and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ballito. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.