Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $669 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Balikpapan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Balikpapan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $669 in Balikpapan.

Medellin $1,639
Balikpapan $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,057 in Balikpapan.

Medellin $2,413
Balikpapan $1,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,444 in Balikpapan.

Medellin $3,186
Balikpapan $1,444

Living in Medellin is roughly 145% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Balikpapan is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

477.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

332.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

214.57%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

124.63%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$0.35 Rp 6,320

414.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$0.39 Rp 7,034

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

41.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

63.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

33.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

51.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

42.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

231.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

62.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

82.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

18.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

41.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

83.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

-18.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

36.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

122.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

-35.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-24.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.23 Rp 4,151

408.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

572.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$0.29 Rp 5,189

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

204.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

80.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

47.01%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

10.43%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

164.58%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

223.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

-4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

83.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

107.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

145.04%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

770.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

-0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

124.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

210.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$140 Rp 2.5M

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

38.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$197 Rp 3.6M

513.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$143 Rp 2.6M

348.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$559 Rp 10.2M

262.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$362 Rp 6.6M

179.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

215.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$777 Rp 14.1M

145.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$238 Rp 4.3M

176.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.46

15.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Balikpapan

$143 21.4% 77.7% $498

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Balikpapan

$206 30.8% 30.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Balikpapan

$98 14.6% 53.7% $113

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Balikpapan

$58 8.6% 66.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Balikpapan

$120 18% 28.8% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Balikpapan

$15 2.2% 84% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 48.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $197 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $11 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

18:17 6:17 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

701,066

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Balikpapan 18,520 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Balikpapan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $669 in Balikpapan, so Balikpapan is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $197 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Balikpapan runs roughly 85% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $92 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $669 in Balikpapan versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan 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.

Expats usually find Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.