Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bago Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $729 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,112 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Bago.

Living in Medellin is roughly 125% more expensive than in Bago, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bago is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.83 ₱240

109.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$16.69 ₱1,047

189.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$2.89 ₱181

225.95%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.17 ₱136

35.48%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.61 ₱38.49

204.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.34 ₱21.35

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.11 ₱69.8

189.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.91 ₱120

198.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.69 ₱106

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.12 ₱70.0

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$0.97 ₱61.1

75.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.86 ₱117

55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$5.21 ₱327

93.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.20 ₱264

137.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.17 ₱450

98.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.37 ₱149

67.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.57 ₱98.2

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$2.40 ₱151

-10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.18 ₱74.3

94.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$2.13 ₱133

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$2.03 ₱127

-25.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.84 ₱52.5

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.56 ₱35.11

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.91 ₱182

31.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.18 ₱513

71.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$0.98 ₱61.6

74.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$1.96 ₱123

39.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.25 ₱15.53

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$11.25 ₱706

592.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$0.78 ₱49.15

67.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.25 ₱15.79

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.98 ₱124

318.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.12 ₱70.3

21.43%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

26.65%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

89.36%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$123 ₱7,696

37.46%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$14.93 ₱936

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$25.13 ₱1,576

12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$32.23 ₱2,021

41.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$4.70 ₱295

266.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.11 ₱320

30.14%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$131 ₱8,242

511.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,056 ₱505.1K

14.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$32.69 ₱2,050

167.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$19.43 ₱1,218

205.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$71.6 ₱4,492

93.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$56.0 ₱3,513

82.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$269 ₱16.9K

298.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$174 ₱10.9K

275.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$503 ₱31.5K

282.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$350 ₱22.0K

199.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,640 ₱165.5K

56.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,032 ₱64.7K

64.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bago: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $269 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $180 per month, with Bago 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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,093 in Bago 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 $269 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $131 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Bago versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago 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.

Expats usually find Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.