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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $881 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,316 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,750 in Babahoyo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 17% more expensive than in Babahoyo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Babahoyo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.46 $3.46

78.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$25.10 $25.10

29.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.89 $6.89

6.53%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.43 $2.43

-29.22%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.92 $0.92

14.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.70 $0.70

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.96 $1.96

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.53 $3.53

-10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.11 $1.11

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.71 $1.71

-23.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.51 $1.51

-7.28%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.18 $2.18

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.12 $6.12

-28.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.56 $5.56

5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.19 $6.19

39.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.99 $1.99

14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.06 $1.06

4.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.05 $1.05

45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.09 $1.09

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.37 $1.37

-17.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.03 $1.03

9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.68 $0.68

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.06 $1.06

-14.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$5.82 $5.82

-59.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.89 $8.89

39.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.52 $1.52

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.88 $2.88

-13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.33 $0.33

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$24.42 $24.42

66.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.22 $1.22

16.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.01 $1.01

90.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$9.81 $9.81

-21.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.63 $0.63

57.14%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.9K $19.9K

-9.33%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$28.7K $28.7K

-7.12%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$37.22 $37.22

117.11%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.75 $13.75

-27.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$30.27 $30.27

-20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$29.65 $29.65

-15.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.79 $14.79

29.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.15 $7.15

-44.34%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$259 $259

17.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,762 $5,762

5.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$55.4 $55.4

4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$42.48 $42.48

-24.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$98.9 $98.9

1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$67.0 $67.0

60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$337 $337

41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$320 $320

17.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$629 $629

34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$496 $496

47.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,138 $1,138

182.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$859 $859

59.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Babahoyo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $337 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 $193 vs $186 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 17% 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 $1,546 in Medellin and $1,321 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: $477 in Medellin versus $337 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $259 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $881 in Babahoyo versus $1,031 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 $881 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 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.