Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Bel Air versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,384 in Bel Air versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Bel Air is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 MUR 319

$5.95 COP 20.8K

13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.15 MUR 2,032

$33.33 COP 116.3K

29.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 MUR 331

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-2.63%

Cappuccino

$1.07 MUR 50.5

$1.63 COP 5,687

-34.36%

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

$1.02 MUR 48.09

$1.09 COP 3,821

-6.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.70

$0.73 COP 2,548

-21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 MUR 76.2

$1.74 COP 6,065

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MUR 155

$3.23 COP 11.3K

1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MUR 79.0

$1.05 COP 3,662

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.40

$1.29 COP 4,515

-44.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.2

$1.32 COP 4,617

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.27 COP 7,927

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MUR 569

$4.35 COP 15.2K

177.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MUR 290

$5.88 COP 20.5K

4.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.62 MUR 594

$8.61 COP 30.0K

46.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.4

$2.25 COP 7,844

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.7

$1.07 COP 3,733

82.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.8

$1.52 COP 5,322

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 MUR 128

$1.42 COP 4,964

91.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.16

$1.17 COP 4,084

-16.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.15

$1.17 COP 4,077

-16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 MUR 40.16

$0.89 COP 3,096

-4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.80

$0.90 COP 3,146

-15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 MUR 303

$2.25 COP 7,837

186.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 MUR 396

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-23.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.4

$1.14 COP 3,977

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MUR 105

$2.38 COP 8,301

-6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.89

$0.84 COP 2,916

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MUR 213

$1.41 COP 4,912

221.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MUR 128

$1.90 COP 6,634

42.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.43 MUR 915

$7.75 COP 27.0K

150.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.8

$1.01 COP 3,509

38.61%

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

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

105.03%

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

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

7.41%

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

$49.86 MUR 2,348

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-40.42%

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

$18.10 MUR 852

$9.45 COP 33.0K

91.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.01 MUR 1,602

$24.11 COP 84.1K

41.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.76 MUR 1,825

$25.31 COP 88.3K

53.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 MUR 287

$4.10 COP 14.3K

48.78%

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

$156 MUR 7,364

$312 COP 1.1M

-49.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,956 MUR 186.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-33.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 MUR 4,045

$58.0 COP 202.6K

48.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.0 MUR 3,815

$32.56 COP 113.6K

148.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 MUR 6,105

$99.6 COP 347.7K

30.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 MUR 4,425

$109 COP 378.8K

-13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MUR 24.4K

$482 COP 1.7M

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MUR 16.4K

$379 COP 1.3M

-8.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 MUR 44.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 MUR 34.1K

$723 COP 2.5M

0.08%

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)

$541 COP 1.9M

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 Bel Air: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Bel Air and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Bel Air vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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

Bel Air vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Bel Air. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,536 in Bel Air and $1,525 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: $518 in Bel Air versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Bel Air. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,024 per month in Bel Air 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 $1,024 in Bel Air, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bel Air. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bel Air 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 Bel Air. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.