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: $836 in Budaiya versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,319 in Budaiya versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Budaiya versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Budaiya costs roughly 50% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budaiya is 39% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 BHD 2.45

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-18.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 BHD 20.00

$47.87 COP 149.4K

10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 BHD 2.53

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-32.15%

Cappuccino

$4.91 BHD 1.85

$3.13 COP 9,767

56.87%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$1.91 COP 5,954

-53.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 BHD 0.11

$1.51 COP 4,712

-81.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 BHD 2.51

$3.12 COP 9,747

113.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 BHD 3.76

$5.75 COP 17.9K

73.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 BHD 0.55

$1.44 COP 4,509

1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BHD 0.39

$2.49 COP 7,759

-57.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BHD 0.85

$1.77 COP 5,535

27.12%

Eggs

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$2.96 COP 9,235

-22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 BHD 3.36

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-35.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 BHD 3.19

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-40.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-44.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 BHD 0.88

$1.61 COP 5,019

45.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.71

$2.25 COP 7,007

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$2.25 COP 7,028

-38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$2.04 COP 6,375

-48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 BHD 0.52

$1.54 COP 4,790

-11.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 BHD 0.59

$1.17 COP 3,651

35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.30

$1.31 COP 4,077

-40.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 BHD 1.95

$3.90 COP 12.2K

32.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.69 BHD 7.05

$14.01 COP 43.7K

33.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 BHD 1.31

$1.74 COP 5,439

99.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

$2.87 COP 8,956

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 BHD 1.97

$1.31 COP 4,084

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 BHD 1.27

$2.19 COP 6,825

54.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.10 BHD 6.07

$8.71 COP 27.2K

84.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$1.37 COP 4,260

-53.28%

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

$36.7K BHD 13.8K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

31.89%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,797

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-42.17%

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

$151 BHD 56.8

$177 COP 553.2K

-14.95%

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

$24.91 BHD 9.39

$13.88 COP 43.3K

79.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 BHD 13.44

$29.72 COP 92.8K

20.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 BHD 3.93

$6.65 COP 20.7K

56.84%

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

$481 BHD 181

$813 COP 2.5M

-40.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,214

$9,187 COP 28.7M

21.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 BHD 18.91

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-43.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 BHD 21.75

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 BHD 33.68

$138 COP 431.2K

-35.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 BHD 34.36

$102 COP 318.7K

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

10.94

-43.24%

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

Last update for Budaiya: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Budaiya vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $305, 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 101% 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 $1,254 in Budaiya and $2,521 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 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $836 per month in Budaiya versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $836 in Budaiya versus $1,681 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 $836 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 101% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.