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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $488 in Banyuwangi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $781 in Banyuwangi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,074 in Banyuwangi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 245% more expensive than in Banyuwangi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Banyuwangi is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

1060.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$11.08 Rp 197.0K

301.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$2.88 Rp 51.3K

222.57%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$1.25 Rp 22.2K

132.00%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.34 Rp 6,115

432.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.19 Rp 3,363

715.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.13 Rp 37.9K

52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$4.17 Rp 74.1K

41.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.04 Rp 18.4K

32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$0.70 Rp 12.4K

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

98.68%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

270.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$3.63 Rp 64.5K

149.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$2.06 Rp 36.6K

416.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$6.40 Rp 113.8K

128.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.01 Rp 35.7K

97.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$0.55 Rp 9,762

150.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$0.73 Rp 12.9K

215.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.03 Rp 18.4K

96.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.88 Rp 15.6K

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$0.93 Rp 16.6K

75.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.55 Rp 9,733

96.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.33 Rp 5,913

278.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$1.90 Rp 33.8K

112.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$5.66 Rp 100.5K

137.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.43 Rp 25.5K

11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.20 Rp 39.1K

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.26 Rp 4,597

353.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$8.27 Rp 147.0K

866.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.50 Rp 8,893

222.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.29 Rp 5,204

634.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$2.68 Rp 47.7K

217.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$0.74 Rp 13.2K

82.43%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$22.1K Rp 393.4M

27.97%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$28.1K Rp 499.0M

27.14%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$47.73 Rp 848.4K

217.16%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$4.70 Rp 83.5K

178.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$18.43 Rp 327.6K

75.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$19.80 Rp 352.0K

133.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$8.20 Rp 145.8K

110.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$1.91 Rp 33.9K

236.65%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$27.90 Rp 495.9K

2892.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$1,124 Rp 20.0M

690.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$22.80 Rp 405.3K

291.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$11.01 Rp 195.6K

402.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$55.9 Rp 992.8K

144.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$27.64 Rp 491.2K

295.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$224 Rp 4.0M

325.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$157 Rp 2.8M

326.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$570 Rp 10.1M

254.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$371 Rp 6.6M

209.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,161 Rp 20.6M

218.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$692 Rp 12.3M

129.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$152 Rp 2.7M

310.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

6.84

52.49%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Banyuwangi: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $224 in Banyuwangi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 311% 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 $297 vs $119 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 245% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 311% 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: $952 in Medellin versus $224 in Banyuwangi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% 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 $488 in Banyuwangi versus $1,687 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 245% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.