Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baabda Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baabda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $994 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,602 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,211 in Baabda.

Living in Medellin is roughly 73% more expensive than in Baabda, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Baabda is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.3K

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

-32.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 152.0K

$63.4 LBP 5.7M

-23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.8K

$10.05 LBP 899.2K

-2.79%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,167

$4.63 LBP 414.3K

-37.15%

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

$1.94 COP 6,122

$2.31 LBP 207.0K

-16.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,792

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

76.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,740

$4.90 LBP 438.3K

-36.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$5.09 LBP 455.7K

12.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,296

$1.96 LBP 175.0K

-30.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,519

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

181.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,356

$2.17 LBP 194.0K

-21.66%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,038

$3.49 LBP 312.7K

-17.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.3K

$13.30 LBP 1.2M

-25.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 34.0K

$10.74 LBP 961.0K

0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.4K

$14.08 LBP 1.3M

4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.9K

$3.12 LBP 279.2K

31.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,950

$1.72 LBP 153.7K

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,695

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

28.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,972

$1.54 LBP 138.1K

43.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,447

$1.40 LBP 125.6K

46.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,737

$1.65 LBP 147.3K

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,747

$1.17 LBP 104.8K

1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,647

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.92 LBP 261.2K

33.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.5K

$10.13 LBP 907.1K

42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,987

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,905

$2.56 LBP 229.5K

10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,045

$5.14 LBP 460.5K

-75.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,589

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

-6.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

-61.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,088

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

25.00%

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

$27.7K COP 87.1M

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-49.15%

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

$35.5K COP 111.8M

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

8.67%

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

$176 COP 554.5K

$230 LBP 20.6M

-23.58%

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

$13.37 COP 42.1K

$23.49 LBP 2.1M

-43.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.1K

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

-21.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$9.98 LBP 893.3K

-37.88%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$681 LBP 61.0M

16.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$10.8K LBP 962.2M

-16.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.6K

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

25.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 184.1K

$49.11 LBP 4.4M

19.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 429.3K

$139 LBP 12.4M

-1.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.7K

$121 LBP 10.8M

-14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Baabda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $63.0 in Baabda. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $279, with Baabda 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 Baabda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Baabda differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $994 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,490 in Baabda 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.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $681 in Baabda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Baabda versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda 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 Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.