Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bihac and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bihac: $974 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Bihac
Learn more

Bihac Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Bihac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$974

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bihac and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bihac and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Bihac versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Bihac $974
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,447 in Bihac versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Bihac $1,447
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Bihac versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Bihac $1,920
Medellin $3,139

Living in Bihac costs roughly 39% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bihac is 27% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.87 BAM 11.98

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-14.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.08 BAM 50.7

$46.55 COP 148.3K

-37.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 BAM 10.12

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-38.49%

Cappuccino

$1.13 BAM 1.97

$2.91 COP 9,277

-61.17%

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

$1.17 BAM 2.05

$1.75 COP 5,585

-33.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 BAM 1.58

$1.32 COP 4,218

-31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 BAM 2.59

$3.13 COP 9,969

-52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-68.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 BAM 2.39

$1.41 COP 4,495

-2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BAM 1.84

$2.44 COP 7,777

-56.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 BAM 4.03

$1.63 COP 5,191

41.72%

Eggs

$3.04 BAM 5.30

$2.82 COP 8,990

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 BAM 17.37

$9.69 COP 30.9K

2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 BAM 12.58

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-22.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 BAM 19.76

$13.46 COP 42.9K

-15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 BAM 3.01

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-56.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 BAM 3.13

$1.48 COP 4,719

20.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BAM 2.53

$2.12 COP 6,768

-31.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.59

$2.25 COP 7,178

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$1.91 COP 6,092

-40.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 BAM 2.60

$1.62 COP 5,160

-8.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 BAM 1.60

$1.15 COP 3,658

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 BAM 1.57

$1.26 COP 4,021

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 BAM 6.27

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 BAM 14.18

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-37.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 BAM 2.32

$1.60 COP 5,083

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 BAM 3.63

$2.26 COP 7,188

-7.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 BAM 2.26

$1.17 COP 3,731

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.93 BAM 61.0

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-53.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$1.27 COP 4,056

-7.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 BAM 1.74

$2.05 COP 6,531

-51.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.49 BAM 18.31

$8.20 COP 26.1K

27.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.50

$1.27 COP 4,046

12.60%

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

$30.6K BAM 53.4K

$26.8K COP 85.3M

14.27%

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

$22.1K BAM 38.5K

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-35.86%

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

$202 BAM 353

$162 COP 516.9K

24.71%

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

$18.53 BAM 32.33

$13.12 COP 41.8K

41.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.20 BAM 38.73

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-20.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.21 BAM 57.9

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-25.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 BAM 20.21

$16.33 COP 52.0K

-29.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 BAM 9.88

$6.09 COP 19.4K

-6.90%

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

$143 BAM 250

$764 COP 2.4M

-81.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,891 BAM 6,789

$8,904 COP 28.4M

-56.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.95 BAM 50.5

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-65.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.25 BAM 30.10

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-69.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 BAM 166

$132 COP 419.8K

-27.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 BAM 208

$95.8 COP 305.1K

24.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 BAM 383

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-78.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 BAM 350

$604 COP 1.9M

-66.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 BAM 527

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-83.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 BAM 474

$993 COP 3.2M

-72.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,445 BAM 2,522

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-63.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,326 BAM 2,313

$1,639 COP 5.2M

-19.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$787 BAM 1,373

$626 COP 2.0M

25.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

10.94

-60.69%

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

Last update for Bihac: October 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bihac

$243 24.7%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 16.3% $40

Groceries & Markets

Bihac

$229 23.2%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 26% $60

Accommodation & Living

Bihac

$201 20.4%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 201% $404

Clothing & Footwear

Bihac

$117 11.9%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 41.9% $49

Eating Out

Bihac

$105 10.7%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 58.2% $61

Getting Around

Bihac

$46 4.7%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 97.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Bihac

$45 4.5%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 26.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $220 in Bihac and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bihac pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Bihac vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $288 per month, with Bihac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Bihac

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

01:21 1:21 AM

7 h behind Bihac

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,690

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bihac Medellin 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bihac
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bihac vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bihac and Medellin differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $1,589 including rent). Bihac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Bihac, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $220 in Bihac versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bihac – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $974 per month in Bihac versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $974 in Bihac versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bihac but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bihac 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, Bihac 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 Bihac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.