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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $993 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,595 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,198 in Bambous.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than Bambous, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bambous 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.45 MUR 210

34.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$43.42 MUR 2,052

-24.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.34 MUR 205

63.36%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.22 MUR 105

-22.97%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.03 MUR 48.75

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.45 MUR 21.43

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.25 MUR 106

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.70 MUR 80.1

80.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.24 MUR 58.7

-12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.66 MUR 31.23

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.12 MUR 53.1

23.21%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.27 MUR 107

-3.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$11.72 MUR 554

-62.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.39 MUR 160

66.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$4.35 MUR 206

104.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.06 MUR 97.6

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.99 MUR 94.2

-46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.45 MUR 68.7

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.69 MUR 127

-48.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.00 MUR 47.20

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.02 MUR 48.02

13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.81 MUR 38.17

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.81 MUR 38.23

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$6.58 MUR 311

-65.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.36 MUR 395

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.77 MUR 83.8

-32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.24 MUR 106

10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.00 MUR 47.29

-14.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$4.41 MUR 208

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$2.62 MUR 124

-25.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$20.18 MUR 953

-61.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.42 MUR 66.9

-33.10%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-48.89%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-9.38%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$48.89 MUR 2,310

68.23%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.28 MUR 864

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$33.50 MUR 1,583

-27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$39.02 MUR 1,844

-33.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.14 MUR 290

-35.99%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$152 MUR 7,189

103.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,890 MUR 183.8K

53.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$84.1 MUR 3,975

-30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$79.1 MUR 3,736

-59.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$134 MUR 6,321

-23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$94.6 MUR 4,470

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$505 MUR 23.9K

-5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$358 MUR 16.9K

5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$951 MUR 44.9K

-11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$708 MUR 33.5K

2.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bambous: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $505 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Bambous. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $187, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $993 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,490 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: $476 in Medellin versus $505 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 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 $43.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Bambous versus $1,013 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.