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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $784 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,196 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,607 in Bago.

Living in Medellin is roughly 29% more expensive than Bago, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bago 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.60 ₱222

66.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$17.41 ₱1,073

88.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.21 ₱198

120.87%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.39 ₱147

-28.45%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.84 ₱51.7

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.39 ₱24.32

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.35 ₱83.4

24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.12 ₱130

44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.90 ₱117

-42.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.27 ₱78.3

-0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.96 ₱59.1

43.75%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.05 ₱127

6.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.12 ₱501

-45.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.17 ₱257

35.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.95 ₱490

11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.96 ₱182

-20.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.60 ₱98.4

-33.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.68 ₱165

-44.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.53 ₱94.6

-9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.30 ₱142

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.51 ₱155

-53.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.07 ₱65.9

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.76 ₱46.58

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.78 ₱171

-17.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$9.15 ₱564

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.20 ₱73.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.98 ₱122

24.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.26 ₱15.98

230.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.83 ₱51.4

77.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.22 ₱13.51

790.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.11 ₱130

266.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.14 ₱70.4

-16.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$26.4K ₱1.6M

-31.35%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

27.58%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$112 ₱6,887

-26.36%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$33.07 ₱2,039

-71.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$27.00 ₱1,665

-10.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$34.26 ₱2,112

-24.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$4.34 ₱268

337.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.02 ₱371

-34.72%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$152 ₱9,343

104.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,248 ₱261.9K

40.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$46.46 ₱2,865

26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$26.85 ₱1,656

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$74.9 ₱4,620

36.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$52.4 ₱3,231

106.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$271 ₱16.7K

75.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$179 ₱11.1K

111.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$582 ₱35.9K

43.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$399 ₱24.6K

81.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,777 ₱171.2K

0.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$845 ₱52.1K

43.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bago: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $271 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Bago. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $209, 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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,176 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: $476 in Medellin versus $271 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $152 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bago – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Bago versus $1,013 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 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.