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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $633 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $982 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,331 in Ballito.

Living in Medellin is roughly 165% more expensive than in Ballito, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ballito is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.33 R 104

26.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$40.38 R 661

18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.19 R 101

59.77%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.78 R 45.50

12.59%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.15 R 18.80

66.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.88 R 14.34

71.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.97 R 32.23

58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.66 R 43.61

116.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.04 R 17.01

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.93 R 15.23

167.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.54 R 25.24

14.94%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.51 R 41.09

17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.48 R 123

34.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.81 R 78.8

110.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.38 R 121

93.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.56 R 25.51

165.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.93 R 31.66

-16.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.50 R 24.60

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.69 R 27.62

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.11 R 18.21

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.44 R 23.58

6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.24 R 20.25

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.22 R 20.02

7.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.63 R 59.5

7.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$4.78 R 78.3

193.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.40 R 22.91

24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.89 R 31.01

51.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.45 R 7.35

191.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.75 R 12.32

192.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.76 R 127

12.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.33 R 21.77

3.01%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$35.7K R 584.1K

-21.94%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.4K R 531.5K

10.24%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$141 R 2,312

25.59%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$22.77 R 373

-39.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$37.43 R 613

-20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.98 R 97.9

11.20%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$326 R 5,334

149.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,835 R 128.3K

17.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$43.77 R 717

104.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$29.90 R 490

97.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$60.7 R 994

127.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$87.4 R 1,432

16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$455 R 7,446

133.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,525 R 25.0K

23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,501 R 24.6K

-54.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.81

-7.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ballito: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $455 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $40.00 in Ballito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $185 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, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 165% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 122% lower in Ballito. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $455 in Ballito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $326 in Ballito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ballito – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $633 in Ballito versus $1,681 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 165% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.