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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Ballsh vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,838 per month in Ballsh vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,474 per month in Ballsh vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Ballsh costs about 19% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Ballsh and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 10% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 ALL 959

$5.99 COP 21.4K

95.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ALL 4,832

$32.86 COP 117.4K

79.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 ALL 557

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-3.95%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ALL 166

$1.71 COP 6,115

18.71%

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

$1.45 ALL 119

$1.10 COP 3,924

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.9

$0.78 COP 2,781

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ALL 243

$1.68 COP 5,997

76.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 ALL 343

$3.07 COP 11.0K

36.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 ALL 174

$1.09 COP 3,906

94.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ALL 93.0

$1.26 COP 4,508

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ALL 177

$1.38 COP 4,922

56.52%

Eggs

$3.89 ALL 318

$2.19 COP 7,827

77.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ALL 1,091

$4.40 COP 15.7K

203.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 ALL 630

$5.63 COP 20.1K

36.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 ALL 1,282

$8.89 COP 31.8K

76.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ALL 145

$2.34 COP 8,349

-24.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 ALL 228

$1.06 COP 3,777

162.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ALL 167

$1.50 COP 5,374

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 162

$1.38 COP 4,924

43.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ALL 109

$1.15 COP 4,111

15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.16 COP 4,155

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ALL 119

$0.89 COP 3,182

62.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.6

$0.84 COP 2,997

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 ALL 357

$2.28 COP 8,145

91.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 ALL 897

$10.64 COP 38.0K

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ALL 133

$1.20 COP 4,284

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ALL 170

$2.47 COP 8,824

-16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.46

$0.86 COP 3,056

-44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.01 ALL 1,555

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-54.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ALL 291

$1.47 COP 5,264

141.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ALL 264

$1.96 COP 7,009

64.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 ALL 1,472

$7.74 COP 27.6K

132.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 ALL 176

$0.95 COP 3,409

126.32%

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

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

124.94%

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

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

33.39%

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

$107 ALL 8,763

$82.3 COP 293.7K

30.24%

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

$17.78 ALL 1,455

$9.50 COP 33.9K

87.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.41 ALL 1,506

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-24.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ALL 4,545

$25.89 COP 92.4K

114.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.45 ALL 2,082

$19.00 COP 67.9K

33.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 ALL 754

$3.93 COP 14.0K

134.35%

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

$159 ALL 13.0K

$309 COP 1.1M

-48.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,513 ALL 451.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-7.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 ALL 5,486

$58.7 COP 209.5K

14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 ALL 4,104

$32.35 COP 115.5K

55.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ALL 8,922

$103 COP 366.4K

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ALL 10.6K

$108 COP 387.2K

19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ALL 36.4K

$476 COP 1.7M

-6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ALL 28.4K

$379 COP 1.4M

-8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ALL 50.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

-26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ALL 35.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

-40.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,749 ALL 143.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-37.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,196 ALL 97.8K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

13.43

-58.90%

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

Last update for Ballsh: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Ballsh versus $476 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 $59.0 in Ballsh versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $188 – 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 – Ballsh is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,803 per month in Ballsh and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 50% more in Ballsh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Ballsh and $33.00 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 Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Ballsh at $1,202. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballsh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ballsh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.