Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bakaly Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bakaly

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,020 in Bakaly, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,582 in Bakaly, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,144 in Bakaly, rent included.

Medellin costs about 65% more than Bakaly, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Bakaly is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$9.29 ₽785

-13.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$34.38 ₽2,906

39.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.69 ₽650

28.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.69 ₽227

16.36%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.06 ₽89.6

80.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.33 ₽28.11

357.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.27 ₽192

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.71 ₽229

112.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.32 ₽111

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.93 ₽79.0

167.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.12 ₽179

-16.51%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.53 ₽130

93.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$17.32 ₽1,464

-41.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.79 ₽405

111.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$6.99 ₽591

104.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.02 ₽171

104.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.52 ₽129

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.78 ₽150

26.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.19 ₽185

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.68 ₽57.3

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.45 ₽37.89

242.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.25 ₽106

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.58 ₽49.21

125.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.77 ₽234

40.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$7.58 ₽641

84.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$0.67 ₽56.9

159.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.04 ₽173

40.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.53 ₽44.56

130.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.12 ₽94.5

16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.31 ₽26.50

606.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$5.39 ₽455

61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.78 ₽65.7

75.64%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$35.2K ₽3.0M

-20.87%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.5K ₽2.7M

13.50%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$144 ₽12.2K

22.82%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$5.81 ₽491

138.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$8.01 ₽677

271.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$33.94 ₽2,868

32.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$23.60 ₽1,994

-27.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.14 ₽435

29.38%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$289 ₽24.4K

181.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,685 ₽480.4K

61.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$59.3 ₽5,007

51.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$44.31 ₽3,745

33.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$114 ₽9,661

20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$140 ₽11.8K

-27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$457 ₽38.7K

132.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$314 ₽26.5K

111.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$774 ₽65.4K

144.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$522 ₽44.1K

96.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,225 ₽188.0K

88.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,457 ₽123.2K

14.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

22.38

-51.12%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bakaly: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $457 in Bakaly. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in Bakaly. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $209 – making Bakaly 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 Bakaly: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 65% more than Bakaly, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,529 in Bakaly. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bakaly, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $34.00 in Bakaly. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bakaly, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Bakaly it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bakaly costs $1,020 versus $1,681 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bakaly. 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.