Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Battambang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Battambang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $665 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,426 in Battambang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 153% more expensive than in Battambang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Battambang is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.52 ៛10.2K

218.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$18.10 ៛73.3K

164.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.52 ៛26.4K

51.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.35 ៛5,470

131.85%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.67 ៛2,722

185.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.49 ៛1,967

208.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$0.90 ៛3,653

246.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.27 ៛9,172

153.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.19 ៛8,875

-34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.98 ៛3,979

154.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.99 ៛4,003

78.79%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.75 ៛7,069

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$15.01 ៛60.8K

-32.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.31 ៛9,367

338.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.31 ៛37.7K

53.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.86 ៛15.6K

7.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.27 ៛5,157

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$4.10 ៛16.6K

-45.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.19 ៛8,845

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.55 ៛6,291

31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.10 ៛4,450

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.79 ៛3,185

48.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.74 ៛2,991

77.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.86 ៛7,543

109.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$11.03 ៛44.7K

27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.60 ៛2,441

190.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.02 ៛4,138

181.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.90 ៛3,654

45.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.87 ៛3,510

151.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.89 ៛19.8K

78.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.26 ៛5,084

8.73%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$35.1K ៛142.2M

-20.74%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.4K ៛139.2M

4.07%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$65.2 ៛263.8K

172.02%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$2.69 ៛10.9K

415.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$25.33 ៛102.5K

17.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$22.24 ៛90.0K

101.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.91 ៛19.9K

35.44%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$89.2 ៛361.1K

811.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,893 ៛15.8M

135.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$19.60 ៛79.4K

356.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$23.85 ៛96.5K

147.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$92.3 ៛373.4K

49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$44.21 ៛179.0K

131.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$229 ៛928.7K

362.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$149 ៛601.4K

346.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$423 ៛1.7M

346.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$326 ៛1.3M

214.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$201 ៛814.3K

236.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.25

50.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Battambang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $229 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 237% 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 $18.00 in Battambang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $228 per month, with Battambang 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 Battambang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Battambang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 237% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $229 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $89.2 in Battambang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $665 in Battambang versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Battambang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Battambang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Battambang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $665 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Battambang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Battambang 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 Battambang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.