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: $1,059 in Bel Air versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Bel Air versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Bel Air versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Bel Air is roughly 6% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Air 20% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 MUR 318

$5.91 COP 18.6K

15.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 MUR 2,086

$32.96 COP 103.8K

35.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 MUR 328

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-5.65%

Cappuccino

$1.13 MUR 53.0

$1.65 COP 5,207

-31.52%

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

$1.00 MUR 46.94

$1.10 COP 3,468

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.03

$0.78 COP 2,458

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 MUR 75.3

$1.72 COP 5,412

-6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MUR 157

$3.18 COP 10.0K

5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MUR 79.5

$1.10 COP 3,474

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.55

$1.26 COP 3,962

-48.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.1

$1.38 COP 4,349

-3.62%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.18 COP 6,858

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MUR 566

$4.49 COP 14.1K

169.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MUR 282

$5.79 COP 18.2K

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 MUR 581

$8.97 COP 28.2K

38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 93.7

$2.32 COP 7,308

-13.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 MUR 94.4

$1.06 COP 3,352

90.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 67.1

$1.52 COP 4,774

-5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MUR 128

$1.36 COP 4,270

100.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.60

$1.13 COP 3,552

-12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.03

$1.17 COP 3,689

-14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 MUR 37.74

$0.90 COP 2,838

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MUR 37.65

$0.90 COP 2,823

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 MUR 308

$2.23 COP 7,034

194.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 MUR 388

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.9

$1.19 COP 3,743

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.48 COP 7,815

-8.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 MUR 48.32

$0.85 COP 2,687

21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MUR 205

$1.42 COP 4,459

208.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MUR 122

$1.95 COP 6,141

33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.94 MUR 934

$7.89 COP 24.8K

152.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.6

$0.99 COP 3,118

41.41%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

105.00%

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

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

5.73%

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

$48.67 MUR 2,280

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-41.37%

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

$18.13 MUR 849

$9.70 COP 30.5K

86.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.21 MUR 1,602

$23.52 COP 74.1K

45.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 MUR 1,810

$25.26 COP 79.5K

52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 MUR 286

$3.95 COP 12.4K

54.68%

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

$155 MUR 7,278

$316 COP 994.2K

-50.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,926 MUR 183.9K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-34.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 MUR 3,928

$60.0 COP 188.9K

39.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.9 MUR 3,791

$31.82 COP 100.2K

154.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,277

$102 COP 320.1K

31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 MUR 4,400

$107 COP 338.3K

-12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MUR 24.2K

$475 COP 1.5M

8.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.8K

$374 COP 1.2M

-4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MUR 44.0K

$849 COP 2.7M

10.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 MUR 34.3K

$719 COP 2.3M

1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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 Bel Air: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Bel Air and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Bel Air vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $193 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 6% 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 $1,588 in Bel Air and $1,504 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 Bel Air versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Bel Air. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,059 per month in Bel Air versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,059 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 $1,003 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 6% less than in Bel Air. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.