Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bat Yam

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,556 in Bat Yam, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Bat Yam, Israel
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Bat Yam
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,556
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bat Yam

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 Bat Yam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,556 in Bat Yam.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Bat Yam $2,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,800 in Bat Yam.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Bat Yam $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $5,044 in Bat Yam.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Bat Yam $5,044

Living in Medellin costs roughly 36% less than in Bat Yam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bat Yam 88% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$22.27 ₪69.8
-63.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$98.5 ₪309
-52.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$16.69 ₪52.3
-43.08%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$4.67 ₪14.63
-35.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.83 ₪8.87
-36.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$2.14 ₪6.72
-34.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$10.46 ₪32.79
-69.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$9.97 ₪31.25
-42.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$2.35 ₪7.37
-35.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$2.65 ₪8.30
-10.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$2.61 ₪8.17
-32.18%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$4.58 ₪14.37
-36.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$7.67 ₪24.05
32.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$11.97 ₪37.52
-17.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$16.42 ₪51.5
-14.80%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.31 ₪10.38
19.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$2.93 ₪9.19
-47.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.81 ₪5.66
20.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$2.52 ₪7.91
-13.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$1.69 ₪5.31
15.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$1.57 ₪4.94
1.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$1.97 ₪6.17
-41.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.94 ₪2.94
31.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$14.09 ₪44.19
-71.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$12.68 ₪39.77
7.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$2.89 ₪9.06
-42.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.53 ₪7.95
-10.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$2.61 ₪8.17
-55.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$91.5 ₪287
-15.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$4.48 ₪14.05
-71.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$1.34 ₪4.19
52.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$40.30 ₪126
-78.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$2.62 ₪8.23
-48.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$57.6K ₪180.6K
-40.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$57.8K ₪181.4K
-40.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$399 ₪1,250
-57.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$10.45 ₪32.77
29.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$54.6 ₪171
-48.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$78.8 ₪247
-44.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$19.70 ₪61.8
-12.74%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$14.64 ₪45.89
-52.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$1,132 ₪3,550
-29.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$24.3K ₪76.2K
-62.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$49.60 ₪156
70.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$40.10 ₪126
44.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$140 ₪439
-3.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$151 ₪474
-35.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$1,593 ₪4,995
-24.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$986 ₪3,093
-34.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$2,441 ₪7,654
-16.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,700 ₪5,331
-40.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$10.1K ₪31.6K
-58.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$8,752 ₪27.4K
-78.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bat Yam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.07
115.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bat Yam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Bat Yam
$986 53.8% $345
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Bat Yam
$337 13.5% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Bat Yam
$464 120% $252
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Bat Yam
$376 122% $207
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Bat Yam
$171 1.4% $2.3
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Bat Yam
$113 20.8% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Bat Yam
$108 87.8% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,593 in Bat Yam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $98 in Bat Yam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $337 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇱 Bat Yam
🕒 Local time
08:51 8:51 AM
15:51 3:51 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
158,565
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Bat Yam 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Bat Yam

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 Bat Yam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Bat Yam?
Medellin is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $3,834 in Bat Yam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Bat Yam?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,593 in Bat Yam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Bat Yam?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $98 in Bat Yam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Bat Yam?
All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $2,556 in Bat Yam – Medellin is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Bat Yam?
At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,556 in Bat Yam, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bat Yam. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Bat Yam?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Bat Yam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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