Cost of Living Comparison Between Budaiya and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Budaiya and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $671 in Budaiya versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,116 in Budaiya versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,561 in Budaiya versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Budaiya costs roughly 35% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Budaiya 50% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 BHD 2.03

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-8.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 BHD 20.34

$32.75 COP 118.2K

65.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 BHD 2.78

$7.20 COP 26.0K

2.64%

Cappuccino

$4.95 BHD 1.86

$1.70 COP 6,140

191.18%

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

$0.77 BHD 0.29

$1.10 COP 3,966

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 BHD 0.11

$0.72 COP 2,605

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 BHD 3.02

$1.67 COP 6,022

381.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.53 BHD 3.96

$3.10 COP 11.2K

239.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BHD 0.65

$1.06 COP 3,809

62.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 BHD 0.48

$1.25 COP 4,497

2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 BHD 0.43

$1.39 COP 5,022

-17.27%

Eggs

$1.61 BHD 0.61

$2.26 COP 8,168

-28.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$4.33 COP 15.6K

-39.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 BHD 2.84

$5.84 COP 21.1K

29.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.88 BHD 1.46

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-56.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 BHD 0.88

$2.24 COP 8,099

4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 BHD 0.76

$1.08 COP 3,882

86.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 BHD 0.66

$1.53 COP 5,522

14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$1.37 COP 4,950

-24.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 BHD 0.31

$1.13 COP 4,078

-27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BHD 0.41

$1.12 COP 4,036

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 BHD 0.49

$0.85 COP 3,057

54.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$0.91 COP 3,281

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 BHD 2.22

$2.33 COP 8,414

154.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 BHD 4.93

$11.13 COP 40.2K

17.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 BHD 0.63

$1.19 COP 4,309

40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 BHD 0.65

$2.37 COP 8,553

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 BHD 0.98

$1.44 COP 5,184

79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 BHD 1.00

$1.91 COP 6,901

39.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.01 BHD 10.16

$8.02 COP 28.9K

236.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$0.94 COP 3,385

-58.51%

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

$37.2K BHD 14.0K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

107.48%

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

$20.8K BHD 7,810

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-22.46%

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

$90.8 BHD 34.12

$84.0 COP 303.1K

8.09%

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

$27.04 BHD 10.17

$9.60 COP 34.7K

181.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.69 BHD 10.04

$24.16 COP 87.2K

10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 BHD 2.93

$3.92 COP 14.1K

98.72%

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

$390 BHD 146

$306 COP 1.1M

27.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,774 BHD 3,299

$5,919 COP 21.4M

48.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.33 BHD 17.42

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-20.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 BHD 23.16

$31.82 COP 114.9K

93.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 BHD 31.60

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 BHD 32.68

$107 COP 386.8K

-18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

13.43

-36.26%

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

Last update for Budaiya: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Budaiya vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $190, with Budaiya 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

Budaiya vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaiya wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budaiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,007 in Budaiya and $1,550 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $671 per month in Budaiya versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $671 in Budaiya versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Budaiya but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Budaiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budaiya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $671 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budaiya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Budaiya 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 Budaiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.