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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $734 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,214 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,694 in Babahoyo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 124% more expensive than in Babahoyo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Babahoyo is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.55 $3.55

126.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$29.50 $29.50

63.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.35 $6.35

48.35%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.65 $2.65

10.94%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.76 $0.76

144.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.66 $0.66

121.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.02 $2.02

58.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.93 $2.93

94.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.02 $1.02

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.56 $1.56

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.57 $1.57

8.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.03 $2.03

42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.59 $5.59

79.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.26 $5.26

89.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.38 $7.38

92.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.65 $1.65

141.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.07 $1.07

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.19 $1.19

80.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.07 $1.07

114.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.23 $1.23

62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.02 $1.02

48.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.69 $0.69

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.06 $1.06

20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.12 $5.12

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.50 $8.50

64.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.52 $1.52

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.08 $3.08

-11.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.34 $0.34

267.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$20.23 $20.23

285.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.21 $1.21

8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.11 $1.11

95.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.95 $9.95

-16.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.81 $0.81

67.90%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.0K $21.0K

30.61%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$28.9K $28.9K

26.48%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$35.50 $35.50

375.27%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.05 $12.05

12.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$26.12 $26.12

8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$30.07 $30.07

52.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$16.13 $16.13

6.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.93 $6.93

-4.04%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$220 $220

265.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,946 $5,946

54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$55.6 $55.6

57.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$43.31 $43.31

37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$99.8 $99.8

39.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$75.7 $75.7

34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$305 $305

250.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$189 $189

245.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$684 $684

181.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$405 $405

158.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,202 $1,202

242.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$766 $766

121.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.05

8.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Babahoyo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $305 in Babahoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Babahoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $182 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 124% 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 $2,462 in Medellin and $1,101 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $305 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $220 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Babahoyo versus $1,641 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 $734 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 124% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.