Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bataan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bataan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $484 in Bataan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $814 in Bataan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,145 in Bataan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 239% more expensive than in Bataan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bataan is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.32 ₱82.8

509.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$16.47 ₱1,033

193.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$2.79 ₱175

237.63%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.34 ₱83.9

119.40%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.61 ₱38.05

204.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.25 ₱15.72

484.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.02 ₱63.7

214.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.61 ₱101

254.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.67 ₱105

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.16 ₱72.6

106.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.98 ₱61.2

73.47%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.73 ₱108

67.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.22 ₱327

92.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.02 ₱189

230.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.10 ₱508

75.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.33 ₱146

70.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.57 ₱98.1

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.34 ₱147

-8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.02 ₱64.2

125.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.76 ₱110

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.73 ₱109

-12.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.67 ₱41.73

79.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.49 ₱30.99

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.18 ₱137

76.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.64 ₱542

62.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.97 ₱60.7

76.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.01 ₱126

36.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.47 ₱29.31

165.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.82 ₱51.1

59.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.25 ₱15.74

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.86 ₱116

345.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.02 ₱63.9

33.33%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

30.58%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

88.55%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$48.26 ₱3,025

249.61%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.28 ₱1,083

-21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$23.20 ₱1,454

22.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$26.70 ₱1,674

71.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.17 ₱324

28.63%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$67.3 ₱4,221

1093.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.6K ₱663.9K

-13.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$29.44 ₱1,846

196.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$19.91 ₱1,248

198.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$70.5 ₱4,421

96.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$55.7 ₱3,492

83.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$167 ₱10.5K

539.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$52.8 ₱3,310

1136.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$280 ₱17.6K

586.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$183 ₱11.5K

471.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$392 ₱24.6K

67.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bataan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $167 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 67% 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 $16.00 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $173 per month, with Bataan 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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $167 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $67.3 in Bataan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $484 in Bataan versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bataan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bataan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bataan 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.

Expats usually find Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.