Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Bayda

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Bayda: $10.38 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Al Bayda

🇱🇾 Libya

$10.38

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Al Bayda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Al Bayda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $10.38 in Al Bayda.

Medellin $1,692
Al Bayda $10.38

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $16.02 in Al Bayda.

Medellin $2,471
Al Bayda $16.02

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $22 in Al Bayda.

Medellin $3,249
Al Bayda $22

Living in Medellin is roughly 16202% more expensive than in Al Bayda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Al Bayda is 99% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$1.60 LYD 10.24

21.25%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$0.32 LYD 2.08

615.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$0.49 LYD 3.11

330.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$0.45 LYD 2.89

280.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$14.0K LYD 89.7K

143.70%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al Bayda: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Al Bayda

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Al Bayda

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Al Bayda

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Al Bayda

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Al Bayda

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Al Bayda

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Al Bayda

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇾 Al Bayda

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

15:38 3:38 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

310,329

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Al Bayda 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al Bayda

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

Medellin vs Al Bayda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $15.57 in Al Bayda 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2861% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $10.38 in Al Bayda – Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $10.38 in Al Bayda versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Bayda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al Bayda 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.