Cost of Living Comparison Between Bambous and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bambous and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Bambous versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in Bambous versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Bambous versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 5% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 27% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.50 MUR 211

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-26.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.82 MUR 2,106

$32.60 COP 106.1K

37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.34 MUR 204

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-40.87%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MUR 105

$1.72 COP 5,600

29.65%

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

$1.02 MUR 48.05

$1.05 COP 3,420

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MUR 21.15

$0.77 COP 2,515

-41.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MUR 104

$1.69 COP 5,488

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 MUR 78.5

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-47.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MUR 56.2

$1.05 COP 3,423

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.76

$1.30 COP 4,236

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MUR 50.9

$1.40 COP 4,544

-22.86%

Eggs

$2.33 MUR 109

$2.16 COP 7,047

7.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.90 MUR 559

$4.39 COP 14.3K

171.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 MUR 151

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-45.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.50 MUR 212

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-47.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 MUR 92.1

$2.28 COP 7,426

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.2

$1.11 COP 3,604

80.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 70.0

$1.53 COP 4,983

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 124

$1.35 COP 4,410

95.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.22

$1.13 COP 3,674

-13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.60

$1.13 COP 3,692

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.24

$0.85 COP 2,753

-7.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MUR 38.33

$0.91 COP 2,975

-9.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 MUR 319

$2.34 COP 7,630

189.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 MUR 401

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-30.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.4

$1.20 COP 3,909

44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MUR 104

$2.49 COP 8,104

-10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.90

$0.84 COP 2,728

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MUR 205

$1.42 COP 4,623

207.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 MUR 124

$1.92 COP 6,235

36.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 MUR 939

$7.66 COP 24.9K

160.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MUR 67.7

$0.99 COP 3,223

45.45%

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

$35.2K MUR 1.7M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

95.38%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

8.39%

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

$49.13 MUR 2,308

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-39.20%

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

$18.39 MUR 864

$9.95 COP 32.4K

84.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.99 MUR 1,550

$24.18 COP 78.7K

36.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.96 MUR 1,830

$25.08 COP 81.7K

55.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MUR 290

$3.98 COP 13.0K

55.28%

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

$152 MUR 7,149

$305 COP 993.5K

-50.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,908 MUR 183.6K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-35.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 MUR 4,038

$58.1 COP 189.2K

47.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.3 MUR 3,819

$32.20 COP 104.8K

152.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 MUR 6,267

$101 COP 327.9K

32.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MUR 4,362

$108 COP 350.8K

-13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MUR 24.2K

$477 COP 1.6M

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 MUR 16.8K

$376 COP 1.2M

-5.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MUR 45.2K

$845 COP 2.7M

14.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 MUR 33.3K

$730 COP 2.4M

-3.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

13.43

-50.34%

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

Last update for Bambous: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Bambous and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Bambous vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $193, with Bambous cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bambous vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bambous and Medellin differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($979 vs $1,031 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,469 in Bambous and $1,546 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $516 in Bambous versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $152 in Bambous versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Bambous versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.