Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and 'ali Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and 'ali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $835 in 'ali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,311 in 'ali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,786 in 'ali.

Living in Medellin is roughly 96% more expensive than in 'ali, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, 'ali is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.70 BHD 2.53

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$53.8 BHD 20.28

-10.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.53 BHD 2.84

25.10%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.84 BHD 1.83

-39.26%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.83 BHD 0.31

124.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.30 BHD 0.11

386.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$6.48 BHD 2.44

-50.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$9.97 BHD 3.76

-42.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.48 BHD 0.56

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.07 BHD 0.40

124.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-26.09%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.33 BHD 0.88

24.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.71 BHD 3.28

15.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.42 BHD 2.42

55.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.79 BHD 3.31

61.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.41 BHD 0.91

65.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.23 BHD 0.84

-29.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.87 BHD 0.70

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.38 BHD 0.52

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.00 BHD 0.38

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.42 BHD 0.53

6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.54 BHD 0.58

-22.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.84 BHD 0.32

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.41 BHD 2.04

-29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$18.77 BHD 7.07

-25.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$3.49 BHD 1.32

-51.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.67 BHD 1.01

2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$5.17 BHD 1.95

-74.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-37.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$15.67 BHD 5.91

-47.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.70 BHD 0.26

94.29%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$36.5K BHD 13.8K

-24.77%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$20.9K BHD 7,894

74.46%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$151 BHD 57.1

11.46%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$24.86 BHD 9.37

-45.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$35.36 BHD 13.33

-19.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.71 BHD 4.04

-37.91%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$480 BHD 181

67.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.8K BHD 4,063

-14.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$50.3 BHD 18.94

73.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$58.5 BHD 22.05

1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$89.6 BHD 33.77

55.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$91.2 BHD 34.37

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$3,759 BHD 1,417

-82.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.21

76.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for 'ali: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

'ali pays 474% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $54.0 in 'ali. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $251, with 'ali 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

Medellin vs 'ali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'ali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 474% lower in 'ali. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $835 in 'ali – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $835 in 'ali versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in 'ali but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes 'ali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, 'ali 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, Medellin and 'ali 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 'ali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.