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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $901 in Baku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,440 in Baku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,979 in Baku.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than Baku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Baku 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$8.84 ₼15.03

-32.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$34.60 ₼58.8

-5.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$7.73 ₼13.13

-8.28%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.66 ₼6.22

-53.28%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.79 ₼1.34

39.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.44 ₼0.75

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.79 ₼3.04

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.90 ₼4.93

5.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.37 ₼2.33

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$0.47 ₼0.80

168.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$2.37 ₼4.03

-41.77%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.36 ₼2.30

61.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.24 ₼8.90

-16.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$4.86 ₼8.26

15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.39 ₼17.65

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.30 ₼2.20

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.82 ₼3.09

-41.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.46 ₼2.48

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.81 ₼3.08

-23.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.78 ₼1.32

47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.48 ₼0.82

141.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.39 ₼0.67

128.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.65 ₼1.11

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.46 ₼5.87

-34.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.99 ₼15.27

18.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.34 ₼2.29

-10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$2.82 ₼4.79

-12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.30 ₼0.51

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$17.96 ₼30.53

130.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$2.10 ₼3.57

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.61 ₼1.04

221.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$3.62 ₼6.15

113.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$0.75 ₼1.28

26.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$20.6K ₼35.0K

-12.06%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$21.8K ₼37.0K

21.51%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$60.6 ₼103

35.77%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$11.97 ₼20.34

-20.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$15.13 ₼25.72

60.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$42.50 ₼72.2

-39.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$21.86 ₼37.15

-13.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.83 ₼9.91

-32.59%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$246 ₼418

25.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$6,448 ₼11.0K

-7.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$58.8 ₼99.9

-0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$54.4 ₼92.4

-40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$122 ₼207

-15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$99.0 ₼168

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$469 ₼797

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$268 ₼455

41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$946 ₼1,609

-11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$456 ₼775

58.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,302 ₼3,913

21.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,255 ₼2,133

-3.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$563 ₼957

-9.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.87

51.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Baku: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $469 in Baku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baku pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Baku. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $180, with Baku 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 Baku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Baku differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $901 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Baku earns 10% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $469 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $246 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $901 in Baku versus $1,013 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 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.