Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bac Kan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bac Kan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $718 in Bac Kan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,126 in Bac Kan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,535 in Bac Kan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 43% more expensive than in Bac Kan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bac Kan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$1.18 ₫31.1K

408.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$27.12 ₫712.6K

21.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.46 ₫117.1K

66.37%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$0.75 ₫19.7K

120.00%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.25 ₫6,494

328.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.27 ₫7,116

181.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$0.99 ₫26.1K

73.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.03 ₫27.2K

210.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.36 ₫35.7K

-22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.93 ₫24.5K

40.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$0.90 ₫23.7K

48.89%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.54 ₫40.5K

42.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$9.10 ₫239.0K

-51.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.87 ₫101.8K

47.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$9.40 ₫247.0K

-9.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$3.24 ₫85.1K

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.01 ₫26.6K

9.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.58 ₫41.5K

-3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.08 ₫28.4K

26.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.07 ₫28.1K

7.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.01 ₫26.6K

16.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.52 ₫13.7K

61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.53 ₫13.9K

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$1.37 ₫36.1K

64.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$13.53 ₫355.4K

-14.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$0.91 ₫23.8K

31.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.76 ₫46.4K

40.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.32 ₫8,341

146.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$6.59 ₫173.1K

519.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$0.78 ₫20.6K

88.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.60 ₫15.8K

220.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$1.60 ₫42.0K

385.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$0.83 ₫21.8K

21.69%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$38.8K ₫1.0B

-54.49%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$31.7K ₫832.2M

-16.49%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$78.4 ₫2.1M

3.43%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$5.20 ₫136.5K

81.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$8.71 ₫228.8K

173.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$21.82 ₫573.2K

19.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$7.64 ₫200.6K

144.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$3.74 ₫98.2K

9.36%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$266 ₫7.0M

18.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$11.6K ₫303.4M

-47.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$45.37 ₫1.2M

31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$23.00 ₫604.2K

39.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$90.3 ₫2.4M

12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$72.0 ₫1.9M

45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$355 ₫9.3M

36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$251 ₫6.6M

45.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$687 ₫18.1M

20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$464 ₫12.2M

57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$4,346 ₫114.2M

-31.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,511 ₫39.7M

-13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.1

47.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Bac Kan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $355 in Bac Kan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Bac Kan. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Kan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $1,077 in Bac Kan 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: $485 in Medellin versus $355 in Bac Kan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Kan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $718 in Bac Kan – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $718 in Bac Kan versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bac Kan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bac Kan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bac Kan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bac Kan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bac Kan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.