Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Banda Aceh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Banda Aceh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $319 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Banda Aceh $319

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $510 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Banda Aceh $510

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $701 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Banda Aceh $701

Medellin costs about 430% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Banda Aceh is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

269.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

556.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

182.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

156.56%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$0.38 Rp 6,876

365.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.21 Rp 3,801

576.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

50.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

169.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

139.51%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

98.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

17.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

333.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

116.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

88.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

82.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

159.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

189.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

151.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

-48.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

36.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$0.40 Rp 7,239

295.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

32.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

45.45%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

437.92%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

511.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

30.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

342.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

26.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

543.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

211.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

165.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

217.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

259.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Banda Aceh

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Banda Aceh

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Banda Aceh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Banda Aceh

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $7 in Banda Aceh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $131 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

05:16 5:16 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

223,446

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Banda Aceh 18,360 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Banda Aceh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 430%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $479 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 134% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $7 in Banda Aceh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banda Aceh, where all-in costs run around $319, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Banda Aceh 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 $319 in Banda Aceh to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.