Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bata

For one person, living is cheaper in Bata: $1,428 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Bata

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$1,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bata

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,428 in Bata, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Bata $1,428

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,100 in Bata, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Bata $2,100

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,772 in Bata, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Bata $2,772

Medellin costs about 19% more than Bata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Bata sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Bata by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$18.85 FCFA 11.0K

-55.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$43.08 FCFA 25.3K

8.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.61 FCFA 1,531

19.92%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$1.34 FCFA 786

32.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.83 FCFA 487

71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.49 FCFA 2,044

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$4.36 FCFA 2,555

30.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.74 FCFA 1,022

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$3.10 FCFA 1,816

-26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$1.54 FCFA 904

25.97%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$2.03 FCFA 1,190

51.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$10.05 FCFA 5,890

-0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$8.40 FCFA 4,926

24.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$10.06 FCFA 5,897

38.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$10.25 FCFA 6,010

-60.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.68 FCFA 983

-8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$8.44 FCFA 4,945

-75.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$3.46 FCFA 2,031

-33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$2.49 FCFA 1,459

-15.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$2.50 FCFA 1,467

-31.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$0.86 FCFA 505

36.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$1.24 FCFA 729

27.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$5.06 FCFA 2,964

-22.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$6.06 FCFA 3,555

131.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$3.48 FCFA 2,043

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$0.81 FCFA 478

123.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$0.89 FCFA 519

139.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.04 FCFA 611

23.08%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$342 FCFA 200.3K

-47.99%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$50.7 FCFA 29.7K

-39.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$68.3 FCFA 40.0K

-38.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$76.5 FCFA 44.8K

12.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$68.7 FCFA 40.3K

-13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$142 FCFA 83.3K

-2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$137 FCFA 80.0K

-27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$379 FCFA 221.9K

254.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$216 FCFA 126.8K

208.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$557 FCFA 326.2K

254.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$341 FCFA 199.7K

203.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$768 FCFA 450.3K

-15.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bata: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Bata

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Bata

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Bata

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Bata

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Bata

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Bata

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Bata

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $379 in Bata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Bata, 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 $43 in Bata. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $338 in Bata – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇶 Bata

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

230,282

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bata 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bata

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 Bata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 19% more than Bata, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,142 in Bata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,428 in Bata. That makes Bata about 16% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $1,428 in Bata. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,428 in Bata to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.