Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Babahoyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Babahoyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $885 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,323 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,761 in Babahoyo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than Babahoyo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Babahoyo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.42 $3.42

75.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$25.13 $25.13

30.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.18 $7.18

-1.25%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.51 $2.51

-31.87%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.84 $0.84

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.70 $0.70

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.95 $1.95

-13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.40 $3.40

-9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.06 $1.06

2.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.69 $1.69

-25.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.52 $1.52

-9.21%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.26 $2.26

-3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.94 $5.94

-25.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.59 $5.59

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.14 $6.14

44.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.11 $2.11

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.09 $1.09

-2.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.09 $1.09

37.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.05 $1.05

31.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.40 $1.40

-17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.02 $1.02

13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.68 $0.68

30.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.07 $1.07

-21.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$5.88 $5.88

-61.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.04 $8.04

32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.61 $1.61

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.76 $2.76

-10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.36 $0.36

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$24.28 $24.28

70.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.28 $1.28

14.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.01 $1.01

94.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$9.96 $9.96

-22.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.69 $0.69

37.68%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$19.6K $19.6K

-7.71%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$28.2K $28.2K

-5.94%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$37.19 $37.19

121.16%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$13.61 $13.61

-30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$30.92 $30.92

-21.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$30.47 $30.47

-15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$14.49 $14.49

31.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.14 $7.14

-44.96%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$250 $250

23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,690 $5,690

4.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$56.8 $56.8

3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$44.06 $44.06

-26.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$95.6 $95.6

7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$67.0 $67.0

61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$340 $340

39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$320 $320

18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$632 $632

32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$489 $489

47.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,367 $1,367

104.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$903 $903

34.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.6

26.70%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Babahoyo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $340 in Babahoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Babahoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $185 per month, with Babahoyo cheaper across the board.

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 Babahoyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Babahoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Babahoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,328 in Babahoyo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $340 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $250 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $885 in Babahoyo versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Babahoyo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Babahoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Babahoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Babahoyo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Babahoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.