Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Banyuwangi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Banyuwangi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Medellin versus $475 in Banyuwangi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Medellin versus $767 in Banyuwangi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Medellin versus $1,059 in Banyuwangi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 228% more expensive than in Banyuwangi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 15% above, Banyuwangi is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.7K

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

969.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 COP 145.7K

$11.30 Rp 202.2K

296.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 30.1K

$3.03 Rp 54.2K

204.95%

Cappuccino

$2.95 COP 9,591

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

137.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,861

$0.35 Rp 6,242

414.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,391

$0.18 Rp 3,240

650.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 COP 9,544

$2.12 Rp 38.0K

38.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 COP 17.8K

$4.00 Rp 71.5K

36.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,663

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,785

$0.68 Rp 12.2K

251.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,209

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

100.00%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,364

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

289.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 COP 31.6K

$3.60 Rp 64.3K

169.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 COP 30.7K

$2.06 Rp 36.9K

358.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 COP 43.1K

$6.23 Rp 111.5K

112.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.2K

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

87.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,703

$0.54 Rp 9,603

168.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,829

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

213.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,930

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

108.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,259

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

123.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,984

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

68.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,549

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

87.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,843

$0.34 Rp 6,046

247.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.3K

$1.99 Rp 35.5K

90.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 COP 42.8K

$5.63 Rp 100.8K

133.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,337

$1.38 Rp 24.6K

18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 COP 7,410

$2.17 Rp 38.9K

5.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.27 Rp 4,807

337.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 COP 239.5K

$8.42 Rp 150.6K

774.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,157

$0.49 Rp 8,700

161.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 COP 6,434

$0.29 Rp 5,225

582.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.7K

$2.72 Rp 48.6K

190.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,211

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

89.71%

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

$26.8K COP 87.2M

$22.2K Rp 396.6M

20.83%

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

$34.7K COP 112.9M

$27.6K Rp 493.6M

25.75%

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

$158 COP 513.6K

$46.45 Rp 831.2K

239.74%

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

$13.39 COP 43.6K

$4.63 Rp 82.9K

189.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 COP 88.8K

$18.32 Rp 327.8K

48.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 COP 143.7K

$19.97 Rp 357.4K

121.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 COP 52.0K

$8.25 Rp 147.7K

93.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 COP 20.8K

$1.89 Rp 33.8K

238.10%

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

$777 COP 2.5M

$27.61 Rp 494.0K

2712.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 COP 28.6M

$1,090 Rp 19.5M

707.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 COP 269.2K

$21.87 Rp 391.4K

278.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 COP 182.6K

$11.04 Rp 197.6K

408.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 425.7K

$56.5 Rp 1.0M

131.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 COP 312.1K

$28.28 Rp 506.0K

239.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.3M

$232 Rp 4.2M

333.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 COP 2.0M

$147 Rp 2.6M

326.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 COP 5.9M

$545 Rp 9.7M

235.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.2M

$355 Rp 6.4M

172.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 COP 12.7M

$1,179 Rp 21.1M

231.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 COP 5.1M

$647 Rp 11.6M

143.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 COP 2.0M

$149 Rp 2.7M

316.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.84

59.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 28, 2026

Last update for Banyuwangi: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Medellin and $232 in Banyuwangi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 317% 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: $45.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Banyuwangi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $117 per month, with Banyuwangi 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 Banyuwangi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Banyuwangi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 228% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 317% 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: $1,006 in Medellin versus $232 in Banyuwangi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Banyuwangi – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $475 in Banyuwangi versus $1,555 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Banyuwangi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Banyuwangi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Banyuwangi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Banyuwangi 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 Banyuwangi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.