Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bac Kan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Kan: $819 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Bac Kan
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Bac Kan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Bac Kan

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$819

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $819 in Bac Kan.

Medellin $1,692
Bac Kan $819

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,293 in Bac Kan.

Medellin $2,471
Bac Kan $1,293

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,768 in Bac Kan.

Medellin $3,249
Bac Kan $1,768

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Bac Kan is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$1.99 ₫51.4K

319.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$23.09 ₫594.9K

101.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$4.54 ₫116.9K

108.59%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.88 ₫48.4K

66.49%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.49 ₫12.6K

261.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.33 ₫8,591

330.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.19 ₫30.7K

164.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.97 ₫50.8K

189.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.52 ₫39.2K

0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$1.01 ₫25.9K

126.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$0.81 ₫21.0K

139.51%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.52 ₫39.1K

101.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$12.08 ₫311.1K

-17.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$3.70 ₫95.4K

182.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$9.27 ₫238.8K

50.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.18 ₫82.0K

27.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.02 ₫26.4K

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.30 ₫33.5K

61.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.12 ₫28.8K

104.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$0.91 ₫23.4K

131.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.15 ₫29.5K

48.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$0.59 ₫15.2K

98.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.53 ₫13.7K

198.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$1.40 ₫36.0K

179.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$10.61 ₫273.4K

32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$0.92 ₫23.8K

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$1.63 ₫42.0K

66.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.35 ₫9,037

237.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$7.71 ₫198.5K

889.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.92 ₫23.7K

96.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.60 ₫15.5K

255.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$2.40 ₫61.8K

238.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$0.91 ₫23.5K

40.66%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$30.7K ₫790.2M

12.27%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$28.8K ₫743.0M

18.35%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$83.5 ₫2.2M

112.93%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$4.92 ₫126.8K

182.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$8.79 ₫226.4K

249.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$17.75 ₫457.3K

136.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$7.94 ₫204.7K

111.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$4.52 ₫116.5K

65.27%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$333 ₫8.6M

137.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$29.3K ₫755.6M

-58.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$44.64 ₫1.1M

93.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$28.13 ₫724.7K

110.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$84.8 ₫2.2M

63.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$73.1 ₫1.9M

35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$452 ₫11.6M

196.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$320 ₫8.2M

108.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$606 ₫15.6M

226.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$660 ₫17.0M

56.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,473 ₫63.7M

65.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,146 ₫29.5M

69.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.17

33.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bac Kan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Bac Kan

$320 39.1% 52% $347

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Bac Kan

$193 23.5% 37.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Bac Kan

$97 11.9% 56.3% $125

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Bac Kan

$65 8% 62.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Bac Kan

$104 12.7% 39.7% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Bac Kan

$13 1.6% 86% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Bac Kan

$27 3.3% 52.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $452 in Bac Kan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Bac Kan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $193 per month, with Bac Kan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Bac Kan

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

22:09 10:09 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

38,510

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bac Kan 16,850 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bac Kan

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 Kan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $1,229 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $452 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 $23 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $819 in Bac Kan – Bac Kan is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $819 in Bac Kan versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

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 Kan 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.