Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balneario Camboriu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balneario Camboriu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $942 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,533 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,125 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

Medellin costs about 82% more than Balneario Camboriu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Balneario Camboriu is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.3K

$6.64 R$33.81

20.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 152.0K

$39.01 R$199

23.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.8K

$7.50 R$38.21

30.27%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,167

$2.47 R$12.60

17.81%

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

$1.94 COP 6,122

$1.13 R$5.76

71.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,792

$0.87 R$4.41

74.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,740

$1.89 R$9.62

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.36 R$12.03

143.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,296

$0.94 R$4.80

44.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,519

$1.57 R$8.01

52.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,356

$1.14 R$5.81

49.12%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,038

$2.00 R$10.20

43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.3K

$8.25 R$42.00

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 34.0K

$4.41 R$22.46

144.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.4K

$7.11 R$36.23

107.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.9K

$1.64 R$8.36

149.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,950

$0.94 R$4.79

67.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,695

$0.74 R$3.78

187.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,972

$1.18 R$6.02

87.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,447

$0.79 R$4.04

159.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,737

$0.56 R$2.87

167.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,747

$0.71 R$3.60

67.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,647

$0.80 R$4.06

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.94 R$14.96

32.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.5K

$7.78 R$39.62

85.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,987

$1.01 R$5.14

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,905

$1.77 R$8.99

59.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

$0.94 R$4.79

24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

$11.41 R$58.1

581.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,045

$1.22 R$6.22

4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,589

$0.78 R$3.97

167.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$5.95 R$30.32

44.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,088

$1.26 R$6.44

3.17%

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

$27.7K COP 87.1M

$22.9K R$116.4K

21.02%

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

$35.5K COP 111.8M

$32.3K R$164.3K

10.06%

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

$176 COP 554.5K

$94.4 R$481

86.48%

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

$13.37 COP 42.1K

$14.93 R$76.0

-10.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.1K

$21.92 R$112

36.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

$35.79 R$182

25.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

$15.55 R$79.2

9.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.57 R$33.47

-5.63%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$265 R$1,350

199.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$5,066 R$25.8K

78.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.6K

$54.6 R$278

56.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 184.1K

$50.2 R$256

16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 429.3K

$93.2 R$474

46.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.7K

$75.0 R$382

37.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$473 R$2,407

124.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$308 R$1,571

120.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,868 R$9,514

7.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$695 R$3,541

68.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$3,521 R$17.9K

16.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

$2,379 R$12.1K

-28.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$487 R$2,479

36.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.63

2.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Balneario Camboriu: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $473 in Balneario Camboriu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Balneario Camboriu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $169 – making Balneario Camboriu 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 Balneario Camboriu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,716 in Medellin, $942 in Balneario Camboriu – roughly 82% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,413 in Balneario Camboriu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $942 in Balneario Camboriu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 581% less in Balneario Camboriu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Balneario Camboriu, where all-in costs run around $942, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Balneario Camboriu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $942 in Balneario Camboriu to $1,716 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Balneario Camboriu. 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.