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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $979 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,585 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,191 in Bambous.

Living in Medellin is roughly 5% more expensive than in Bambous, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bambous 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.50 MUR 211

36.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$44.82 MUR 2,105

-27.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.34 MUR 204

69.12%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.23 MUR 105

-22.87%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.02 MUR 48.04

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.45 MUR 21.15

71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.22 MUR 104

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.67 MUR 78.5

89.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.20 MUR 56.2

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.65 MUR 30.75

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.08 MUR 50.9

29.63%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.33 MUR 109

-7.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$11.90 MUR 559

-63.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.21 MUR 151

83.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$4.50 MUR 212

92.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.96 MUR 92.1

16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.00 MUR 94.2

-44.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.49 MUR 70.0

2.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.64 MUR 124

-48.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.98 MUR 46.21

15.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.95 MUR 44.59

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.79 MUR 37.23

7.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.82 MUR 38.33

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$6.78 MUR 318

-65.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.54 MUR 401

44.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.73 MUR 81.4

-30.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.22 MUR 104

12.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.00 MUR 46.89

-16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$4.37 MUR 205

-67.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$2.63 MUR 124

-27.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$19.99 MUR 939

-61.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.44 MUR 67.7

-31.25%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$35.2K MUR 1.7M

-48.82%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-7.74%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$49.13 MUR 2,308

64.48%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$18.39 MUR 864

-45.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$32.99 MUR 1,550

-26.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$38.96 MUR 1,830

-35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.18 MUR 290

-35.60%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$152 MUR 7,147

100.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,908 MUR 183.6K

55.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$85.9 MUR 4,037

-32.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$81.3 MUR 3,818

-60.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$133 MUR 6,265

-24.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$92.9 MUR 4,361

16.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$516 MUR 24.2K

-7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$357 MUR 16.8K

5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$963 MUR 45.2K

-12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$708 MUR 33.3K

3.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bambous: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $516 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $45.00 in Bambous. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $186, with Bambous cheaper for home cooking.

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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $979 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,469 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $516 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $152 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 $45.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Bambous versus $1,031 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 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.