Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bandar Seri Begawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,215 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bandar Seri Begawan

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 Bandar Seri Begawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,215 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,215

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,756 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,756

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,296 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Bandar Seri Begawan $2,296

Medellin costs about 35% more than Bandar Seri Begawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bandar Seri Begawan is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.93 BND 5.03

105.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$27.87 BND 35.73

68.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.14 BND 7.87

54.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 BND 2.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 BND 3.03

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$4.01 BND 5.14

-24.94%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.95 BND 1.22

89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.53 BND 0.68

166.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.89 BND 2.42

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.76 BND 2.25

35.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.19 BND 1.52

48.74%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.09 BND 2.68

38.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$9.18 BND 11.77

11.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.61 BND 5.91

114.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.69 BND 13.70

30.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.14 BND 4.02

26.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.22 BND 2.84

-30.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.84 BND 3.64

-23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.58 BND 3.31

-15.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.67 BND 2.15

17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.99 BND 2.55

-20.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$3.63 BND 4.65

-68.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.92 BND 1.18

34.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.60 BND 30.25

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 BND 4.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$15.44 BND 19.79

-74.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.81 BND 1.04

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$23.46 BND 30.08

229.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.98 BND 5.11

-68.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$3.39 BND 4.34

-39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$11.48 BND 14.71

-25.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.43 BND 0.55

213.95%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$43.6K BND 55.8K

-21.80%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$36.1K BND 46.3K

-4.07%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$61.3 BND 78.6

176.57%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$21.81 BND 27.96

-37.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$66.1 BND 84.8

-57.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$46.25 BND 59.3

-5.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$7.12 BND 9.13

141.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.62 BND 7.20

22.95%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$220 BND 282

261.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$9,743 BND 12.5K

-6.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$77.1 BND 98.8

9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$95.5 BND 122

-39.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$102 BND 131

32.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$73.2 BND 93.8

33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$726 BND 931

66.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$481 BND 616

33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,159 BND 1,486

74.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$681 BND 873

48.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$3,076 BND 3,943

35.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,232 BND 2,861

-14.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,745 BND 2,237

-62.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.88

181.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$481 39.6% 25.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$220 18.1% 25.9% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$149 12.3% 29.3% $62

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.6% 38.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$156 12.9% 7.4% $13

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$48 3.9% 49.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bandar Seri Begawan are about 2.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $28 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $220 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🕒 Local time

20:30 8:30 PM

09:30 9:30 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

50,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 BND = 0.78 USD

1 BND = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.701 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bandar Seri Begawan 18,310 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bandar Seri Begawan

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 Bandar Seri Begawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,823 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $726 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,215 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That makes Bandar Seri Begawan about 26% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Bandar Seri Begawan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bandar Seri Begawan, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Bandar Seri Begawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bandar Seri Begawan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Bandar Seri Begawan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.