Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ambon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ambon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $588 in Ambon.

Medellin $1,692
Ambon $588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $995 in Ambon.

Medellin $2,471
Ambon $995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,401 in Ambon.

Medellin $3,249
Ambon $1,401

Living in Medellin is roughly 188% more expensive than in Ambon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Ambon is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

651.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$14.28 Rp 259.0K

225.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$3.83 Rp 69.5K

147.26%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

110.07%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.46 Rp 8,372

284.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.28 Rp 4,998

407.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.46 Rp 62.8K

64.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

48.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

133.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

145.57%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

124.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$7.18 Rp 130.2K

39.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.85 Rp 51.7K

266.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$7.47 Rp 135.5K

86.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.18 Rp 39.5K

85.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

16.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.60 Rp 28.9K

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

84.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

64.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

46.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.40 Rp 7,202

295.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

78.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$20.54 Rp 372.6K

-31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.25 Rp 4,555

372.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$11.45 Rp 207.6K

566.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.50 Rp 9,152

262.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.29 Rp 5,350

634.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$2.71 Rp 49.1K

200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

60.00%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$23.7K Rp 429.9M

45.31%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$35.6K Rp 645.1M

-4.02%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$55.9 Rp 1.0M

217.89%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$5.62 Rp 102.0K

147.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$19.16 Rp 347.5K

60.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$18.90 Rp 342.8K

121.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$7.07 Rp 128.2K

137.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

429.79%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

732.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$8,975 Rp 162.8M

37.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$43.58 Rp 790.5K

98.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$27.84 Rp 505.0K

112.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$75.7 Rp 1.4M

82.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

39.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$211 Rp 3.8M

535.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$124 Rp 2.3M

436.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$612 Rp 11.1M

223.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$420 Rp 7.6M

145.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,295 Rp 23.5M

216.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$756 Rp 13.7M

156.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$121 Rp 2.2M

432.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.45

15.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Ambon

$124 21.2% 81.4% $543

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Ambon

$190 32.3% 38.3% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Ambon

$81 13.7% 63.7% $142

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Ambon

$59 10.1% 65.6% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Ambon

$98 16.7% 43.1% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Ambon

$14 2.5% 84.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Ambon

$22 3.7% 61.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $211 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $14 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $190 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Ambon

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

15:16 3:16 PM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

275,888

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,421 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Ambon 17,370 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ambon

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 Ambon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Medellin is about 5.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $211 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $588 in Ambon – Ambon is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 85% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $588 in Ambon versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon 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.

Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.