Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochabamba and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochabamba and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Cochabamba versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Cochabamba versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,587 in Cochabamba versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cochabamba costs roughly 23% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cochabamba 41% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 BOB 19.49

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-52.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.43 BOB 120

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-46.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 BOB 51.2

$7.09 COP 25.3K

5.22%

Cappuccino

$2.62 BOB 17.98

$1.71 COP 6,115

53.22%

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

$0.66 BOB 4.54

$1.10 COP 3,924

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 BOB 4.16

$0.78 COP 2,781

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 BOB 11.78

$1.68 COP 5,997

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 BOB 22.13

$3.07 COP 11.0K

5.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 BOB 7.43

$1.09 COP 3,906

-0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 BOB 9.98

$1.26 COP 4,508

15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BOB 10.42

$1.38 COP 4,922

10.14%

Eggs

$1.75 BOB 11.99

$2.19 COP 7,827

-20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.06 BOB 34.71

$4.40 COP 15.7K

15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 BOB 23.61

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-38.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 BOB 49.13

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 BOB 17.84

$2.34 COP 8,349

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 BOB 7.19

$1.06 COP 3,777

-0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 BOB 12.96

$1.50 COP 5,374

26.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 BOB 11.07

$1.38 COP 4,924

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 BOB 12.12

$1.15 COP 4,111

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 BOB 6.42

$1.16 COP 4,155

-18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BOB 8.20

$0.89 COP 3,182

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BOB 6.84

$0.84 COP 2,997

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 BOB 17.49

$2.28 COP 8,145

11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 BOB 58.3

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 BOB 15.69

$1.20 COP 4,284

90.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 BOB 24.98

$2.47 COP 8,824

47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 BOB 1.91

$0.86 COP 3,056

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 BOB 10.08

$1.47 COP 5,264

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 BOB 9.78

$1.96 COP 7,009

-27.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 BOB 49.65

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-6.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 BOB 3.75

$0.95 COP 3,409

-42.11%

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

$22.3K BOB 153.3K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

23.26%

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

$18.5K BOB 126.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-30.17%

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

$45.53 BOB 312

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-44.64%

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

$22.69 BOB 156

$9.50 COP 33.9K

138.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.62 BOB 334

$24.23 COP 86.5K

100.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.69 BOB 320

$25.89 COP 92.4K

80.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 BOB 112

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-13.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 BOB 34.07

$3.93 COP 14.0K

26.46%

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

$256 BOB 1,759

$309 COP 1.1M

-17.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,426 BOB 30.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-25.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 BOB 279

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-30.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.73 BOB 321

$32.35 COP 115.5K

44.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 BOB 500

$103 COP 366.4K

-28.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 BOB 634

$108 COP 387.2K

-14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 BOB 2,055

$476 COP 1.7M

-37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 BOB 1,334

$379 COP 1.4M

-48.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 BOB 3,379

$838 COP 3.0M

-41.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 BOB 2,533

$724 COP 2.6M

-48.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 BOB 8,222

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-57.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$917 BOB 6,291

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-24.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$558 BOB 3,828

$512 COP 1.8M

9.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

13.43

-44.15%

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

Last update for Cochabamba: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $300 in Cochabamba and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochabamba pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Cochabamba vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $188 per month, with Cochabamba 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

Cochabamba vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cochabamba and Medellin differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($784 vs $1,013 including rent). Cochabamba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cochabamba pays 9% more on average, 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: $300 in Cochabamba versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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 $784 per month in Cochabamba versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $784 in Cochabamba versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cochabamba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cochabamba 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.

Expats usually find Cochabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.