Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballsh and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballsh and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Ballsh vs $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Ballsh vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,549 per month in Ballsh vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Ballsh is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Ballsh sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ALL 800

$8.04 COP 24.8K

26.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 ALL 4,212

$48.29 COP 148.6K

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 ALL 568

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-23.67%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ALL 183

$2.94 COP 9,040

-21.09%

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

$1.42 ALL 112

$1.86 COP 5,735

-23.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ALL 67.5

$1.46 COP 4,479

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ALL 292

$3.21 COP 9,882

15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ALL 330

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ALL 182

$1.44 COP 4,428

60.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ALL 97.8

$2.40 COP 7,389

-48.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ALL 189

$1.70 COP 5,228

40.59%

Eggs

$3.86 ALL 305

$2.89 COP 8,896

33.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ALL 1,074

$10.06 COP 30.9K

35.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 ALL 722

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-8.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 ALL 1,388

$14.20 COP 43.7K

23.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 160

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 ALL 200

$1.58 COP 4,878

60.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ALL 180

$2.15 COP 6,624

5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ALL 147

$2.30 COP 7,078

-19.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 82.4

$2.00 COP 6,169

-48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 103

$1.51 COP 4,646

-13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 118

$1.20 COP 3,701

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ALL 64.7

$1.28 COP 3,946

-35.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ALL 398

$3.84 COP 11.8K

31.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 ALL 908

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ALL 139

$1.71 COP 5,256

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ALL 161

$2.74 COP 8,440

-25.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 38.52

$1.25 COP 3,834

-60.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.29 ALL 1,603

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-73.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ALL 294

$1.31 COP 4,016

183.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 ALL 296

$2.17 COP 6,680

72.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.96 ALL 1,498

$8.29 COP 25.5K

128.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 ALL 189

$1.36 COP 4,172

75.74%

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

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

$27.5K COP 84.5M

25.71%

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

$37.4K ALL 3.0M

$36.5K COP 112.4M

2.25%

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

$102 ALL 8,060

$169 COP 519.2K

-39.52%

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

$18.98 ALL 1,499

$13.57 COP 41.8K

39.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 ALL 1,646

$28.32 COP 87.2K

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ALL 4,640

$45.71 COP 140.7K

28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 ALL 793

$6.65 COP 20.5K

50.98%

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

$346 ALL 27.3K

$803 COP 2.5M

-56.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,431 ALL 665.9K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-8.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 ALL 4,050

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-41.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.84 ALL 3,857

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-17.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ALL 9,673

$139 COP 427.5K

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ALL 9,016

$102 COP 314.0K

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ALL 38.3K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ALL 26.6K

$653 COP 2.0M

-48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ALL 56.6K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-62.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ALL 37.6K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-54.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 ALL 149.0K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-54.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,282 ALL 101.2K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-24.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

10.94

-48.45%

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

Last update for Ballsh: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Ballsh versus $1,071 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Ballsh versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $300 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Ballsh vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Ballsh and $2,462 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Ballsh and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballsh. 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.