Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bandung Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bandung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $645 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $942 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,239 in Bandung.

Living in Medellin is roughly 161% more expensive than in Bandung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bandung is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.40 Rp 24.9K

472.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$14.00 Rp 247.9K

241.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$3.35 Rp 59.3K

195.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

101.94%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.45 Rp 8,040

324.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.23 Rp 4,043

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.21 Rp 56.8K

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.15 Rp 55.8K

82.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.10 Rp 19.5K

30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.04 Rp 18.4K

139.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.88 Rp 15.6K

101.14%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.44 Rp 25.5K

105.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.32 Rp 129.6K

37.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.85 Rp 50.5K

255.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.24 Rp 145.9K

73.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.29 Rp 40.6K

80.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.12 Rp 19.7K

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.49 Rp 26.4K

51.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.95 Rp 16.8K

136.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.66 Rp 11.6K

77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.41 Rp 7,252

219.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.79 Rp 49.4K

39.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$22.80 Rp 403.8K

-38.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.93 Rp 34.1K

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.35 Rp 59.3K

-14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.27 Rp 4,725

351.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$9.57 Rp 169.5K

740.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.81 Rp 14.4K

61.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.55 Rp 9,759

298.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

272.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

75.64%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.2K Rp 375.9M

31.12%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$29.5K Rp 522.2M

21.31%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$33.79 Rp 598.3K

424.71%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.39 Rp 77.7K

216.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$19.60 Rp 347.0K

51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$18.96 Rp 335.7K

136.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$5.92 Rp 104.9K

189.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.88 Rp 51.1K

130.90%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$93.8 Rp 1.7M

766.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,255 Rp 146.2M

11.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$39.76 Rp 704.0K

125.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$33.16 Rp 587.1K

77.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

78.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$70.5 Rp 1.2M

44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$222 Rp 3.9M

377.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$182 Rp 3.2M

263.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$390 Rp 6.9M

383.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$269 Rp 4.8M

282.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$738 Rp 13.1M

466.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$311 Rp 5.5M

437.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$285 Rp 5.1M

137.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.38

-3.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bandung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $222 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $197 per month, with Bandung 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 Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $222 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $645 in Bandung versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $645 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bandung 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 Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.