Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ballito Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ballito

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,024 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,511 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,998 in Ballito.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than Ballito, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ballito 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$7.67 R 129

-22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$28.41 R 476

15.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.97 R 83.4

44.87%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.92 R 32.22

-11.46%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.88 R 14.82

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.71 R 11.95

1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.90 R 31.93

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.26 R 37.89

37.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.99 R 16.60

7.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.80 R 13.45

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.41 R 23.63

-1.42%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.00 R 33.51

13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.01 R 101

-27.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.34 R 72.8

34.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.23 R 104

41.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.37 R 23.05

63.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.43 R 24.00

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.37 R 22.99

11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.00 R 16.83

37.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.77 R 12.99

46.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.22 R 20.50

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.02 R 17.03

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.97 R 16.32

-6.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.07 R 51.5

-24.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$4.06 R 68.0

174.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.32 R 22.07

-9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.75 R 29.32

35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.63 R 27.29

-51.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$25.10 R 421

63.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.71 R 28.75

-15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.56 R 9.33

241.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.71 R 112

19.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.23 R 20.63

-23.58%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.8K R 332.1K

-9.50%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$22.8K R 382.1K

17.60%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$105 R 1,755

-19.77%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$20.77 R 348

-53.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$27.62 R 463

-12.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$30.70 R 515

-15.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$11.28 R 189

68.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.70 R 95.6

-31.23%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$139 R 2,327

120.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$2,506 R 42.0K

136.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$41.27 R 692

40.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$30.56 R 513

4.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$56.4 R 945

77.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$72.2 R 1,211

48.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$363 R 6,083

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$444 R 7,443

-17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$696 R 11.7K

18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$698 R 11.7K

2.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,386 R 23.2K

111.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,098 R 18.4K

28.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,618 R 27.1K

-66.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.01

11.82%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ballito: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $363 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 197% 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 $28.00 in Ballito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $155 per month, with Ballito 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 Ballito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballito is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ballito earns 197% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $363 in Ballito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ballito – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,024 in Ballito – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Ballito versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ballito but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ballito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ballito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ballito 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 Ballito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.