Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $93.6 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 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

$1,639

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$93.6

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $94 in Ba.

Medellin $1,639
Ba $94

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $209 in Ba.

Medellin $2,413
Ba $209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $325 in Ba.

Medellin $3,186
Ba $325

Living in Medellin is roughly 1652% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ba is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$2.04 FJD 4.56

296.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$30.40 FJD 67.8

54.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.01 FJD 13.41

58.07%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.99 FJD 4.43

51.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.98 FJD 2.18

83.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.99 FJD 2.20

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$4.12 FJD 9.18

-22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.47 FJD 7.74

65.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$399 FJD 890

64.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

173.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

–

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 65% 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 at a mid-range restaurant: $47 in Medellin vs $30 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

08:26 8:26 AM

17 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

15,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.403 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.48 FJD (1 FJD = 0.403 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Ba 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ba

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 Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $94 in Ba – Ba is about 94% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $94 in Ba versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ba 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ba wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.