Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baku Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,020 in Baku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,600 in Baku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,181 in Baku.

Living in Medellin is roughly 68% more expensive than in Baku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Baku is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$9.03 ₼15.35

-11.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$41.88 ₼71.2

15.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$7.63 ₼12.97

28.05%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.50 ₼5.95

-16.86%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.09 ₼1.85

77.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.60 ₼1.03

153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.78 ₼3.03

73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.58 ₼4.39

122.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.58 ₼2.68

-13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$0.50 ₼0.84

378.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.63 ₼4.46

-35.36%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.01 ₼3.41

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$4.95 ₼8.41

100.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$5.10 ₼8.67

111.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$11.90 ₼20.23

23.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.40 ₼2.38

192.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.83 ₼3.12

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.55 ₼2.63

37.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.74 ₼2.95

27.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.79 ₼1.34

159.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.62 ₼1.05

141.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.79 ₼1.34

50.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.79 ₼1.35

46.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.14 ₼5.34

24.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$8.92 ₼15.15

61.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.56 ₼2.65

1.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.96 ₼5.03

-4.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.36 ₼0.62

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$20.95 ₼35.60

271.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.08 ₼3.54

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.57 ₼0.98

266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.59 ₼6.10

140.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$0.65 ₼1.11

100.00%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$23.4K ₼39.7K

18.36%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$21.1K ₼35.8K

68.52%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$70.6 ₼120

149.43%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$11.15 ₼18.95

19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$15.12 ₼25.70

97.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$47.70 ₼81.1

-6.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$16.83 ₼28.60

1.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$5.97 ₼10.14

3.85%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$333 ₼566

138.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$6,682 ₼11.4K

34.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$69.3 ₼118

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$55.6 ₼94.5

5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$131 ₼222

4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$116 ₼197

-11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$539 ₼916

96.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$325 ₼552

109.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,046 ₼1,777

92.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$531 ₼903

120.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,256 ₼3,834

82.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,310 ₼2,227

29.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$541 ₼919

23.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.08

20.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Baku: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $539 in Baku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Baku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $196 per month, with Baku 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 Baku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Baku differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,020 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $539 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $333 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Baku versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Baku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Baku are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.