Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bac Giang

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Giang: $790 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Bac Giang
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Bac Giang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bac Giang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bac Giang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $790 in Bac Giang.

Medellin $1,639
Bac Giang $790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,256 in Bac Giang.

Medellin $2,413
Bac Giang $1,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,721 in Bac Giang.

Medellin $3,186
Bac Giang $1,721

Living in Medellin is roughly 107% more expensive than in Bac Giang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Bac Giang is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$1.88 ₫48.5K

330.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$15.54 ₫401.7K

202.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.39 ₫113.4K

116.40%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.91 ₫49.5K

57.59%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.40 ₫10.4K

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.26 ₫6,649

442.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$0.74 ₫19.1K

329.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$0.95 ₫24.6K

505.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.53 ₫39.5K

-1.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.08 ₫27.9K

120.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.77 ₫19.9K

129.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.49 ₫38.5K

93.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$11.94 ₫308.7K

-14.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$3.67 ₫95.0K

168.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$9.85 ₫254.6K

42.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.30 ₫85.2K

20.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.03 ₫26.6K

50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.34 ₫34.6K

62.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.15 ₫29.7K

89.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.94 ₫24.2K

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$1.14 ₫29.4K

39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.54 ₫13.9K

112.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.53 ₫13.7K

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.38 ₫35.6K

186.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$12.62 ₫326.1K

8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$0.88 ₫22.8K

88.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.72 ₫44.3K

31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.32 ₫8,215

265.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$6.50 ₫168.0K

1090.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$0.76 ₫19.6K

67.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.57 ₫14.6K

259.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$2.35 ₫60.7K

263.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.89 ₫22.9K

51.69%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$30.5K ₫789.7M

11.52%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$28.8K ₫744.7M

20.36%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$85.7 ₫2.2M

98.05%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$5.22 ₫135.1K

159.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$8.81 ₫227.8K

218.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$23.44 ₫606.1K

86.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$7.55 ₫195.2K

127.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$4.65 ₫120.2K

48.60%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$189 ₫4.9M

321.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$13.7K ₫353.6M

-33.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$49.07 ₫1.3M

72.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$26.20 ₫677.3K

121.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$83.3 ₫2.2M

62.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$78.1 ₫2.0M

25.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$144 ₫3.7M

738.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$281 ₫7.3M

128.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$824 ₫21.3M

145.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$632 ₫16.3M

60.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,240 ₫57.9M

86.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,218 ₫31.5M

56.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$215 ₫5.6M

206.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.28

32.13%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bac Giang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bac Giang

$281 35.6% 56.1% $360

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bac Giang

$199 25.2% 32.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bac Giang

$100 12.6% 52.8% $112

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bac Giang

$59 7.5% 65% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bac Giang

$107 13.5% 37% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bac Giang

$11 1.4% 87.9% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bac Giang

$33 4.1% 43.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $144 in Bac Giang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $16 in Bac Giang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $199 per month, with Bac Giang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Bac Giang

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

08:21 8:21 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

194,171

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,779 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bac Giang 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bac Giang

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 Bac Giang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Giang is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Medellin is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $144 in Bac Giang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Giang – a meal for two runs $16 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Bac Giang versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bac Giang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bac Giang 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 Bac Giang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.