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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $966 in Bakaly, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,463 in Bakaly, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,960 in Bakaly, rent included.

Medellin costs about 7% more than Bakaly, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Bakaly are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Bakaly 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$8.33 ₽626

-28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$38.32 ₽2,879

-14.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.56 ₽343

57.89%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.27 ₽171

-25.11%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.27 ₽95.6

-13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.42 ₽31.68

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.88 ₽216

-42.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.47 ₽186

25.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.02 ₽76.3

3.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.66 ₽49.31

89.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.64 ₽123

-15.24%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.82 ₽137

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$13.97 ₽1,050

-69.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.92 ₽294

48.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.98 ₽675

-1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.70 ₽128

31.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.91 ₽143

-43.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.31 ₽98.4

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$3.00 ₽225

-54.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.08 ₽81.1

4.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.92 ₽68.8

21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.53 ₽115

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.62 ₽46.45

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.04 ₽228

-23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.12 ₽610

37.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.86 ₽64.4

38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.92 ₽144

23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.50 ₽37.47

58.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.25 ₽244

-55.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.35 ₽26.61

445.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$7.82 ₽587

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.78 ₽58.8

20.51%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$31.4K ₽2.4M

-42.96%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$32.0K ₽2.4M

-16.29%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$99.0 ₽7,432

-15.15%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$4.72 ₽354

103.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$6.87 ₽516

251.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$35.45 ₽2,662

-27.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.94 ₽371

-20.65%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$320 ₽24.1K

-4.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,946 ₽521.7K

-14.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$70.8 ₽5,319

-18.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$45.27 ₽3,400

-29.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$114 ₽8,537

-12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$106 ₽7,941

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$447 ₽33.5K

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$300 ₽22.6K

22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$771 ₽57.9K

7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$502 ₽37.7K

42.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,901 ₽142.8K

53.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,543 ₽115.9K

-8.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.33

-17.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bakaly: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $447 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in Bakaly. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $202 – making Medellin 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 7% more than Bakaly, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,449 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $38.00 in Bakaly. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bakaly, where all-in costs run around $966, than in Medellin at $1,034. 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 $966 versus $1,034 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.