Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $471 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Babol

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $471 in Babol, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Babol $471

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $733 in Babol, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Babol $733

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $994 in Babol, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Babol $994

Medellin costs about 248% more than Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Babol is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$2.94 $2.94

175.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$10.80 $10.80

335.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$4.02 $4.02

136.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.05 $1.05

186.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.29 $0.29

520.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.72 $1.72

-18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.71 $0.71

112.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.22 $0.22

981.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.47 $2.47

-28.34%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.22 $1.22

136.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$2.02 $2.02

404.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.27 $3.27

201.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.23 $9.23

51.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.22 $1.22

225.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.41 $1.41

9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.48 $0.48

354.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.48 $0.48

354.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.29 $0.29

575.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.29 $0.29

448.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.29 $0.29

296.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.14 $0.14

785.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.24 $2.24

76.79%

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

$0.16 $0.16

631.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$9.65 $9.65

701.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.51 $0.51

149.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.29 $0.29

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$2.94 $2.94

190.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.08 $0.08

1587.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$49.2K $49.2K

-30.81%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$30.1K $30.1K

15.36%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$12.91 $12.91

1214.10%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$1.52 $1.52

791.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$3.84 $3.84

630.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$18.51 $18.51

136.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$13.57 $13.57

26.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$1.94 $1.94

256.19%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$48.02 $48.02

1558.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$2,397 $2,397

280.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$19.85 $19.85

326.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$14.97 $14.97

287.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$53.6 $53.6

151.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$39.31 $39.31

148.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$289 $289

317.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$207 $207

209.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$779 $779

160.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$359 $359

181.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$911 $911

357.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$596 $596

220.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$130 $130

404.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

23.75

-53.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Babol

$207 44% 67.7% $434

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Babol

$97 20.6% 67.3% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Babol

$18 3.9% 91.4% $193

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Babol

$56 11.9% 66.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Babol

$57 12.2% 66% $111

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Babol

$12 2.6% 86.9% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Babol

$22 4.8% 61.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $289 in Babol. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $11 in Babol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $97 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇷 Babol

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

01:56 1:56 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

220,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Babol 12,840 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Babol

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 Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $471 in Babol – Babol comes out roughly 71% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $707 in Babol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Babol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Babol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $48 in Babol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Babol, where all-in costs run around $471, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Babol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Babol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Babol. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.