Cost of Living Comparison Between Foca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Foca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Foca versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,435 in Foca versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,873 in Foca versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Foca costs roughly 39% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Foca is 28% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 BAM 8.98

$8.04 COP 24.9K

-33.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.42 BAM 39.33

$48.29 COP 149.7K

-51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 BAM 7.94

$9.42 COP 29.2K

-49.79%

Cappuccino

$1.59 BAM 2.67

$2.94 COP 9,105

-45.92%

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

$1.38 BAM 2.31

$1.86 COP 5,776

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BAM 1.44

$1.46 COP 4,511

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 BAM 3.04

$3.21 COP 9,953

-43.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BAM 4.02

$5.71 COP 17.7K

-58.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 BAM 2.04

$1.44 COP 4,460

-15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 BAM 1.92

$2.40 COP 7,442

-52.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 BAM 2.74

$1.70 COP 5,265

-4.12%

Eggs

$2.08 BAM 3.49

$2.89 COP 8,960

-28.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 BAM 11.74

$10.06 COP 31.2K

-30.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 BAM 11.15

$9.97 COP 30.9K

-33.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 BAM 17.72

$14.20 COP 44.0K

-25.70%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 BAM 1.44

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-78.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 BAM 2.93

$1.58 COP 4,913

10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 BAM 3.89

$2.15 COP 6,671

7.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 2.95

$2.30 COP 7,129

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BAM 1.78

$2.00 COP 6,213

-47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 BAM 2.35

$1.51 COP 4,679

-7.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BAM 1.99

$1.20 COP 3,727

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 BAM 1.60

$1.28 COP 3,974

-25.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 BAM 6.17

$3.84 COP 11.9K

-4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 BAM 13.95

$14.01 COP 43.4K

-40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BAM 1.54

$1.71 COP 5,294

-46.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 BAM 1.96

$2.74 COP 8,500

-57.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 BAM 2.28

$1.25 COP 3,861

8.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 BAM 3.03

$1.31 COP 4,045

37.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 BAM 0.96

$2.17 COP 6,728

-73.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.52 BAM 29.43

$8.29 COP 25.7K

111.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BAM 2.63

$1.36 COP 4,202

15.44%

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

$31.8K BAM 53.4K

$27.5K COP 85.2M

15.78%

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

$22.2K BAM 37.3K

$36.5K COP 113.2M

-39.29%

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

$163 BAM 273

$169 COP 523.0K

-3.54%

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

$16.91 BAM 28.40

$13.57 COP 42.1K

24.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.86 BAM 60.2

$28.32 COP 87.8K

26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 BAM 56.8

$45.71 COP 141.7K

-26.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 BAM 10.22

$6.65 COP 20.6K

-8.57%

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

$306 BAM 514

$803 COP 2.5M

-61.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,664 BAM 6,154

$9,190 COP 28.5M

-60.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 BAM 145

$87.4 COP 270.8K

-1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.91 BAM 62.0

$59.4 COP 184.0K

-37.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 BAM 119

$139 COP 430.5K

-49.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 BAM 249

$102 COP 316.3K

45.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 BAM 265

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-85.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 BAM 435

$653 COP 2.0M

-60.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 BAM 903

$1,925 COP 6.0M

-72.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 BAM 637

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-63.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 BAM 4,179

$4,123 COP 12.8M

-39.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 BAM 3,113

$1,697 COP 5.3M

9.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

10.94

-59.41%

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

Last update for Foca: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $158 in Foca and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Foca vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $300 per month, with Foca 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

Foca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,494 in Foca and $2,462 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: $158 in Foca versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Foca versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Foca – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Foca versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.