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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $971 in Bakaly, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,480 in Bakaly, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,990 in Bakaly, rent included.

Medellin costs about 5% more than Bakaly, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Bakaly are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Bakaly 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$8.75 ₽634

-32.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$38.48 ₽2,788

-13.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.32 ₽313

67.36%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.27 ₽164

-28.19%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.29 ₽93.3

-15.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.39 ₽28.48

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.90 ₽210

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.50 ₽181

29.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.00 ₽72.8

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.66 ₽47.56

95.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.62 ₽118

-18.52%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.81 ₽131

25.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$14.39 ₽1,042

-69.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.83 ₽278

53.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.72 ₽632

-1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.77 ₽128

27.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.98 ₽144

-45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.39 ₽101

9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.00 ₽217

-52.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.07 ₽77.5

9.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.99 ₽71.5

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.50 ₽109

-40.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.64 ₽46.66

40.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.09 ₽224

-27.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.00 ₽580

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.81 ₽58.9

40.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.95 ₽142

22.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.49 ₽35.55

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.24 ₽235

-56.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.33 ₽23.56

475.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.82 ₽567

-0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.80 ₽57.7

26.25%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$32.2K ₽2.3M

-45.38%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$31.2K ₽2.3M

-14.96%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$98.8 ₽7,156

-15.26%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$4.74 ₽343

99.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$7.18 ₽520

235.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$36.22 ₽2,625

-30.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.14 ₽372

-20.23%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$328 ₽23.7K

-4.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,947 ₽503.4K

-13.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$69.1 ₽5,006

-15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$44.51 ₽3,225

-26.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$113 ₽8,159

-11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$108 ₽7,815

0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$453 ₽32.8K

6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$307 ₽22.3K

23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$776 ₽56.2K

7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$514 ₽37.3K

40.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,694 ₽195.2K

5.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,733 ₽125.5K

-29.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bakaly: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $453 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 $203 – 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 5% 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 $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,457 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 $971, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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 $971 versus $1,017 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.