Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Medan $613
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Medan $940
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Medan $1,266
Medellin $3,190

Living in Medan costs roughly 62% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medan is 55% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-78.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-82.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-68.95%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$3.11 COP 9,866

-50.80%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$1.83 COP 5,800

-80.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$1.38 COP 4,360

-81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$3.05 COP 9,672

-45.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-34.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.45 COP 4,600

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.36 COP 7,496

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.68 COP 5,328

-51.79%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$2.86 COP 9,077

-53.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-20.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-62.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-54.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.50 COP 4,742

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$2.17 COP 6,891

-34.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$2.31 COP 7,310

-59.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.93 COP 6,113

-56.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$1.64 COP 5,196

9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$1.13 COP 3,571

-66.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$1.25 COP 3,954

-64.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-28.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$1.70 COP 5,384

7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.37 COP 7,525

27.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$1.21 COP 3,827

-77.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-92.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$1.32 COP 4,179

-61.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$2.14 COP 6,774

-91.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.30 COP 4,114

-38.46%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-11.86%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-9.03%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$172 COP 545.6K

-50.70%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-76.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-62.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-50.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-47.61%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$770 COP 2.4M

-85.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-81.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-37.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-32.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$137 COP 432.9K

-20.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$97.9 COP 310.4K

13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-77.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$616 COP 2.0M

-85.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-73.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-79.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-71.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-66.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$652 COP 2.1M

-67.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

10.94

-15.45%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 62.9% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 21.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 92% $103

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 586% $526

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 187% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 146% $34

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1002% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 203% 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: $8.00 in Medan vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $295 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

12 h behind Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

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 19, 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 19, 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

Medan Medellin 18,750 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medan
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

Medan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 203% 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: $233 in Medan versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 1190% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Medan versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan 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.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.