Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $632 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Makassar
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Makassar Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Makassar

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$632

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makassar 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 Makassar and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $632 in Makassar versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Makassar $632
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Makassar versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Makassar $977
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,322 in Makassar versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Makassar $1,322
Medellin $3,199

Living in Makassar costs roughly 61% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makassar is 53% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.62 Rp 29.1K

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-80.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.67 Rp 156.1K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-81.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-65.04%

Cappuccino

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$3.05 COP 9,676

-37.05%

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

$0.47 Rp 8,457

$1.80 COP 5,707

-73.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 6,013

$1.38 COP 4,382

-76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-43.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

$1.50 COP 4,760

2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.5K

$2.37 COP 7,508

-59.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.57 Rp 10.3K

$1.70 COP 5,377

-66.47%

Eggs

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

$2.96 COP 9,379

-47.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.42 Rp 115.5K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-37.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 Rp 61.6K

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-64.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.23 Rp 94.2K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-62.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-40.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.6K

$1.53 COP 4,839

-14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

$2.22 COP 7,052

-11.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

$2.27 COP 7,194

-44.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

$1.99 COP 6,311

-35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$1.67 COP 5,285

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.18 COP 3,742

-37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 6,988

$1.24 COP 3,919

-68.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 Rp 46.9K

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.14 Rp 398.6K

$13.78 COP 43.7K

60.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

$1.66 COP 5,256

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$2.40 COP 7,615

19.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,851

$1.24 COP 3,944

-78.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.18 Rp 75.2K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-94.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,925

$1.28 COP 4,044

-60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,710

$2.15 COP 6,803

-82.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 Rp 48.0K

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-68.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.35 COP 4,288

-40.74%

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

$23.8K Rp 428.5M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-31.51%

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

$31.9K Rp 574.3M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-8.01%

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

$90.3 Rp 1.6M

$167 COP 528.4K

-45.84%

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

$2.61 Rp 46.9K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-80.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.29 Rp 455.3K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.58 Rp 388.5K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-52.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 Rp 151.1K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-51.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 Rp 60.5K

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-51.79%

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

$94.2 Rp 1.7M

$790 COP 2.5M

-88.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,803 Rp 68.5M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.97 Rp 485.5K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-69.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.43 Rp 421.7K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-59.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$139 COP 440.7K

-46.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.92 Rp 718.5K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-59.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 Rp 4.0M

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-78.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 Rp 2.6M

$620 COP 2.0M

-76.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 Rp 9.5M

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-71.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 Rp 6.6M

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-63.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 Rp 20.7M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-71.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 Rp 14.3M

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-53.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 Rp 3.8M

$663 COP 2.1M

-67.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

10.94

-13.53%

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

Last update for Makassar: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Makassar

$193 30.6%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 54.1% $105

Accommodation & Living

Makassar

$143 22.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 334% $477

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makassar

$118 18.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 77.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Makassar

$74 11.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 132% $98

Eating Out

Makassar

$67 10.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 153% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Makassar

$28 4.5%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 109% $31

Getting Around

Makassar

$7.6 1.2%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 1151% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Makassar and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 211% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $9.00 in Makassar vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $298 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Makassar

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

07:32 7:32 AM

13 h behind Makassar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,427,619

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makassar Medellin 18,350 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Makassar
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

Makassar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 211% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $224 in Makassar versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 1771% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $94.2 in Makassar versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $632 in Makassar versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makassar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $632 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makassar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.