Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bagamoyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bagamoyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $391 in Bagamoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $655 in Bagamoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $920 in Bagamoyo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 320% more expensive than in Bagamoyo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bagamoyo is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.93 TZS 5,085

316.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$11.28 TZS 29.7K

328.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.76 TZS 23.0K

7.53%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.96 TZS 5,143

50.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.32 TZS 853

481.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.20 TZS 520

630.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$0.97 TZS 2,547

230.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.93 TZS 5,078

195.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.79 TZS 2,081

82.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.60 TZS 1,578

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.36 TZS 953

372.22%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.91 TZS 5,016

51.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.55 TZS 25.1K

5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.57 TZS 12.0K

118.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$3.94 TZS 10.4K

260.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.60 TZS 6,823

53.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.93 TZS 2,456

69.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.97 TZS 2,539

121.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.60 TZS 1,566

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.31 TZS 827

545.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.31 TZS 821

387.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.88 TZS 2,309

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.35 TZS 925

265.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.33 TZS 6,127

64.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$6.68 TZS 17.6K

109.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.89 TZS 2,342

92.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.51 TZS 3,962

81.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.62 TZS 4,251

-19.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.48 TZS 3,884

46.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$13.37 TZS 35.1K

-38.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.32 TZS 3,472

3.03%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$16.7K TZS 43.9M

64.63%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.4K TZS 69.5M

38.26%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$55.6 TZS 146.2K

203.40%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$4.62 TZS 12.1K

193.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$22.93 TZS 60.3K

23.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.16 TZS 13.6K

28.88%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$576 TZS 1.5M

39.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.4K TZS 35.3M

-31.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$14.15 TZS 37.2K

517.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$26.01 TZS 68.4K

128.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$44.03 TZS 115.8K

215.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$66.5 TZS 174.7K

53.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$57.2 TZS 150.4K

1771.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$228 TZS 600.1K

743.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$113 TZS 295.9K

831.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.25

-40.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bagamoyo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $57.2 in Bagamoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Bagamoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $142 per month, with Bagamoyo cheaper across the board.

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 Bagamoyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bagamoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 320% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bagamoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $586 in Bagamoyo 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $57.2 in Bagamoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $576 in Bagamoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bagamoyo – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $391 in Bagamoyo versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bagamoyo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bagamoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bagamoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $391 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bagamoyo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bagamoyo 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 Bagamoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 320% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.