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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,235 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,892 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,549 in Ballsh, rent included.

Medellin costs about 33% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ballsh is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.13 ALL 800

-20.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$53.3 ALL 4,212

-9.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.19 ALL 568

31.02%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.32 ALL 183

26.72%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.42 ALL 112

30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.86 ALL 67.5

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$3.70 ALL 292

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.18 ALL 330

36.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$2.31 ALL 182

-37.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.24 ALL 97.8

93.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$2.39 ALL 189

-28.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$3.86 ALL 305

-25.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$13.60 ALL 1,074

-26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$9.14 ALL 722

9.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$17.57 ALL 1,388

-19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.02 ALL 160

97.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$2.53 ALL 200

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$2.27 ALL 180

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.86 ALL 147

23.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.04 ALL 82.4

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.30 ALL 103

16.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.50 ALL 118

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.82 ALL 64.7

56.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.04 ALL 398

-23.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.50 ALL 908

21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.76 ALL 139

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$2.04 ALL 161

34.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.49 ALL 38.52

155.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$20.29 ALL 1,603

283.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$3.72 ALL 294

-64.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$3.75 ALL 296

-42.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$18.96 ALL 1,498

-56.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$2.39 ALL 189

-43.10%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

-20.45%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$37.4K ALL 3.0M

-2.20%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$102 ALL 8,060

65.33%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$18.98 ALL 1,499

-28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$20.84 ALL 1,646

35.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$58.8 ALL 4,640

-22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.04 ALL 793

-33.76%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$346 ALL 27.3K

132.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,431 ALL 665.9K

9.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$51.3 ALL 4,050

70.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$48.84 ALL 3,857

21.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$122 ALL 9,673

13.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$114 ALL 9,016

-10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$485 ALL 38.3K

120.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$337 ALL 26.6K

93.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$717 ALL 56.6K

168.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$476 ALL 37.6K

120.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,886 ALL 149.0K

118.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,282 ALL 101.2K

32.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.64

93.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $485 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $53.0 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $301 – 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 – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,852 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $53.0 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 Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – 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 Ballsh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.