Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ballsh Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ballsh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $1,202 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,838 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,474 in Ballsh, rent included.

Medellin is about 16% cheaper than Ballsh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Ballsh 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$11.72 ALL 959

-48.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$59.1 ALL 4,832

-44.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.81 ALL 557

4.11%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.03 ALL 166

-15.76%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.45 ALL 119

-24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.90 ALL 73.9

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.97 ALL 243

-43.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$4.19 ALL 343

-26.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.12 ALL 174

-48.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.14 ALL 93.0

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$2.16 ALL 177

-36.11%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.89 ALL 318

-43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.34 ALL 1,091

-67.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.70 ALL 630

-26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$15.67 ALL 1,282

-43.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.77 ALL 145

32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.78 ALL 228

-61.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.04 ALL 167

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.98 ALL 162

-30.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.33 ALL 109

-13.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.32 ALL 108

-12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.45 ALL 119

-38.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.80 ALL 65.6

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$4.37 ALL 357

-47.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$10.96 ALL 897

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.62 ALL 133

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.07 ALL 170

19.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.48 ALL 39.46

79.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$19.01 ALL 1,555

117.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.55 ALL 291

-58.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$3.23 ALL 264

-39.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$17.99 ALL 1,472

-56.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$2.15 ALL 176

-55.81%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

-55.54%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

-25.03%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$107 ALL 8,763

-23.22%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.78 ALL 1,455

-46.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$18.41 ALL 1,506

31.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$55.6 ALL 4,545

-53.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$25.45 ALL 2,082

-25.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.21 ALL 754

-57.33%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$159 ALL 13.0K

94.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,513 ALL 451.1K

8.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$67.1 ALL 5,486

-12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$50.2 ALL 4,104

-35.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$109 ALL 8,922

-5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$129 ALL 10.6K

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$444 ALL 36.4K

7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$347 ALL 28.4K

9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$615 ALL 50.3K

36.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$433 ALL 35.4K

67.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,749 ALL 143.1K

59.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,196 ALL 97.8K

1.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.52

143.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $444 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $59.0 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $282 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballsh is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,803 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Ballsh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $59.0 in Ballsh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Ballsh at $1,202. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballsh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ballsh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.