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: $993 in Bambous versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,595 in Bambous versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,198 in Bambous versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 2% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 26% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 MUR 210

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-25.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.42 MUR 2,052

$32.86 COP 117.4K

32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.34 MUR 205

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-38.79%

Cappuccino

$2.22 MUR 105

$1.71 COP 6,115

29.82%

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

$1.03 MUR 48.75

$1.10 COP 3,924

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MUR 21.43

$0.78 COP 2,781

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MUR 106

$1.68 COP 5,997

33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MUR 80.1

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-44.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 MUR 58.7

$1.09 COP 3,906

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 31.23

$1.26 COP 4,508

-47.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MUR 53.1

$1.38 COP 4,922

-18.84%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.19 COP 7,827

3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 MUR 554

$4.40 COP 15.7K

166.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 MUR 160

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 MUR 206

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-51.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MUR 97.6

$2.34 COP 8,349

-11.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 94.2

$1.06 COP 3,777

87.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.7

$1.50 COP 5,374

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 MUR 127

$1.38 COP 4,924

94.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.20

$1.15 COP 4,111

-13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.02

$1.16 COP 4,155

-12.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 MUR 38.17

$0.89 COP 3,182

-8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 38.23

$0.84 COP 2,997

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 MUR 311

$2.28 COP 8,145

188.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 MUR 395

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MUR 83.8

$1.20 COP 4,284

47.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MUR 106

$2.47 COP 8,824

-9.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 47.29

$0.86 COP 3,056

16.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MUR 208

$1.47 COP 5,264

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MUR 124

$1.96 COP 7,009

33.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 MUR 953

$7.74 COP 27.6K

160.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MUR 66.9

$0.95 COP 3,409

49.47%

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

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

95.65%

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

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

10.35%

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

$48.89 MUR 2,310

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-40.56%

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

$18.28 MUR 864

$9.50 COP 33.9K

92.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 MUR 1,583

$24.23 COP 86.5K

38.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 MUR 1,844

$25.89 COP 92.4K

50.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 MUR 290

$3.93 COP 14.0K

56.23%

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

$152 MUR 7,189

$309 COP 1.1M

-50.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,890 MUR 183.8K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-34.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 MUR 3,975

$58.7 COP 209.5K

43.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 MUR 3,736

$32.35 COP 115.5K

144.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,321

$103 COP 366.4K

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 MUR 4,470

$108 COP 387.2K

-12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MUR 23.9K

$476 COP 1.7M

6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.9K

$379 COP 1.4M

-5.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 MUR 44.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 MUR 33.5K

$724 COP 2.6M

-2.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Bambous and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Bambous vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $187 vs $188, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($993 vs $1,013 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,490 in Bambous and $1,519 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: $505 in Bambous versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $152 in Bambous versus $309 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 $43.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Bambous versus $1,013 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.