Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and 'ali

For one person, living is cheaper in 'ali: $818 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in 'ali
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'ali Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

'ali

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in 'ali

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 'ali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $818 in 'ali, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
'ali $818

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,299 in 'ali, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
'ali $1,299

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,779 in 'ali, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
'ali $1,779

Medellin costs about 97% more than 'ali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while 'ali is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.3K

$5.36 BHD 2.02

47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 147.1K

$53.3 BHD 20.13

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.3K

$7.44 BHD 2.81

27.69%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,920

$5.01 BHD 1.89

-37.92%

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

$1.83 COP 5,832

$0.90 BHD 0.34

103.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,384

$0.30 BHD 0.11

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,725

$6.73 BHD 2.54

-54.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$10.18 BHD 3.84

-45.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,625

$1.42 BHD 0.54

2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,537

$1.07 BHD 0.40

120.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,358

$2.26 BHD 0.85

-25.66%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,127

$2.22 BHD 0.84

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.5K

$8.64 BHD 3.26

17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.4K

$6.45 BHD 2.44

47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.8K

$8.86 BHD 3.34

58.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$2.30 BHD 0.87

76.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,768

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-35.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,929

$1.92 BHD 0.73

13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,350

$1.40 BHD 0.53

65.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,147

$1.04 BHD 0.39

85.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,224

$1.35 BHD 0.51

21.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,590

$1.50 BHD 0.57

-24.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,976

$0.78 BHD 0.30

60.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$5.32 BHD 2.01

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.6K

$18.80 BHD 7.10

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,413

$3.61 BHD 1.36

-52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,566

$2.57 BHD 0.97

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,848

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,202

$5.42 BHD 2.05

-75.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,811

$3.46 BHD 1.31

-38.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

$15.80 BHD 5.96

-46.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,137

$0.70 BHD 0.26

85.71%

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

$28.0K COP 89.2M

$36.7K BHD 13.9K

-23.76%

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

$35.4K COP 112.9M

$20.1K BHD 7,592

76.05%

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

$172 COP 548.6K

$151 BHD 57.0

14.05%

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

$13.37 COP 42.6K

$24.17 BHD 9.12

-44.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.6K

$35.75 BHD 13.49

-19.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 144.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$10.67 BHD 4.03

-41.14%

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

$770 COP 2.5M

$495 BHD 187

55.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$11.2K BHD 4,228

-19.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 275.5K

$51.9 BHD 19.58

66.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.1K

$57.3 BHD 21.62

-0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 435.3K

$89.2 BHD 33.66

53.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 312.1K

$89.2 BHD 33.67

9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,823 BHD 1,443

-82.93%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for 'ali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

'ali

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

'ali

$250 30.5% 15.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

'ali

$211 25.8% 1.6% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

'ali

$129 15.8% 23.9% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

'ali

$184 22.5% 9.3% $16

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

'ali

$23 * 2.8% 75.7% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

'ali

$21 * 2.6% 63.1% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 486% higher in 'ali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $53.0 in 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $250 in 'ali – so 'ali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇭 'ali

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

02:22 2:22 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

100,553

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,568 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin 'ali 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
'ali

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 'ali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,227 in 'ali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $53.0 in 'ali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in 'ali, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Medellin at $1,614. In 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward 'ali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with 'ali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.