Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bambous Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bambous

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $535 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $902 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,268 in Bambous.

Living in Medellin is roughly 214% more expensive than in Bambous, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bambous is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.36 MUR 207

83.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$37.99 MUR 1,804

26.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$4.12 MUR 196

140.05%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.13 MUR 101

46.95%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.09 MUR 51.6

75.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.44 MUR 20.79

243.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.67 MUR 127

16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.57 MUR 74.7

266.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.20 MUR 56.8

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.73 MUR 34.69

241.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.08 MUR 51.4

63.89%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.59 MUR 123

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$5.29 MUR 251

90.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.23 MUR 153

213.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$4.27 MUR 203

234.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.07 MUR 98.4

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.60 MUR 124

-38.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.45 MUR 68.8

55.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.90 MUR 138

-22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.94 MUR 44.71

117.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.96 MUR 45.74

60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.71 MUR 33.62

64.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.92 MUR 43.51

42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$6.28 MUR 298

-37.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$8.54 MUR 406

64.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.65 MUR 78.2

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.27 MUR 108

26.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$4.16 MUR 198

-68.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$3.12 MUR 148

-29.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$20.89 MUR 992

-58.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.34 MUR 63.9

2.24%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-23.86%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

12.72%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$44.49 MUR 2,113

298.52%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$10.62 MUR 505

30.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$29.53 MUR 1,403

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.48 MUR 308

2.62%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$128 MUR 6,059

537.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$7,820 MUR 371.4K

17.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$78.6 MUR 3,734

13.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$75.4 MUR 3,579

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$121 MUR 5,725

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$76.8 MUR 3,648

32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bambous: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $173 per month, with Bambous 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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bambous differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $535 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $803 in Bambous to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $128 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $535 in Bambous versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.