Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bacong Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bacong

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $629 in Bacong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $1,010 in Bacong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $1,392 in Bacong, rent included.

Medellin costs about 168% more than Bacong, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Bacong is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$2.50 ₱154

215.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$19.36 ₱1,194

130.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$3.20 ₱197

190.31%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$1.92 ₱118

51.04%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.71 ₱43.74

154.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.34 ₱21.21

355.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$0.85 ₱52.2

282.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$1.82 ₱112

223.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.71 ₱105

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.21 ₱74.7

102.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$0.84 ₱51.9

79.76%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.10 ₱129

32.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$6.23 ₱384

45.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.22 ₱260

152.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$6.28 ₱387

132.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$3.27 ₱201

21.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.09 ₱67.1

26.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.98 ₱183

-22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.40 ₱86.3

44.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$2.45 ₱151

-14.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$2.85 ₱176

-42.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.49 ₱92.0

-27.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.83 ₱51.4

50.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.12 ₱192

29.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$6.54 ₱403

105.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.16 ₱71.7

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.26 ₱77.8

138.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.29 ₱18.03

306.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$10.34 ₱637

673.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.71 ₱43.83

126.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.36 ₱22.47

491.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$2.40 ₱148

255.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$0.98 ₱60.4

37.76%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$21.9K ₱1.3M

29.37%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$19.8K ₱1.2M

79.93%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$51.1 ₱3,152

196.01%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$9.59 ₱591

36.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$27.36 ₱1,686

18.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$32.03 ₱1,974

44.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$4.12 ₱254

318.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$4.99 ₱307

28.86%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$32.52 ₱2,005

2467.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$7,823 ₱482.3K

13.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$29.74 ₱1,833

200.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$19.50 ₱1,202

183.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$57.1 ₱3,518

139.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$24.40 ₱1,504

348.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$151 ₱9,287

531.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$151 ₱9,306

342.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$528 ₱32.5K

282.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$308 ₱19.0K

272.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$2,601 ₱160.3K

42.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,119 ₱69.0K

41.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

7.33

42.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Bacong: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $151 in Bacong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $192 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 168%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $943 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Bacong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,687 in Medellin and $629 in Bacong. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacong, where all-in costs run around $629, than in Medellin at $1,687. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacong – 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 Bacong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.