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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $640 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,006 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,373 in Battambang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 61% more expensive than in Battambang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Battambang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.49 ៛10.0K

147.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$18.27 ៛73.7K

78.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.70 ៛23.0K

28.77%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.52 ៛6,117

13.16%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.63 ៛2,544

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.48 ៛1,936

60.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.72 ៛2,904

134.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.52 ៛6,115

108.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.08 ៛8,396

-49.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.46 ៛5,871

-10.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.02 ៛4,093

37.25%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.83 ៛7,385

18.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.76 ៛51.4K

-65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.20 ៛16.9K

40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.44 ៛42.1K

-17.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.53 ៛10.2K

-9.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.54 ៛6,227

-27.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$2.29 ៛9,217

-33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.51 ៛6,077

-10.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.54 ៛6,204

-26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.25 ៛5,049

-9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.45 ៛5,829

-41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.48 ៛1,941

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.98 ៛7,987

18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.18 ៛45.1K

10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.83 ៛3,359

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.02 ៛4,108

144.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.99 ៛3,989

43.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.02 ៛4,101

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.09 ៛16.5K

87.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.16 ៛4,692

-14.66%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$48.3K ៛194.8M

-62.70%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$37.4K ៛150.9M

-28.87%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$52.7 ៛212.6K

53.22%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$1.46 ៛5,897

581.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$23.75 ៛95.7K

1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$22.21 ៛89.5K

12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.39 ៛17.7K

-9.34%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$90.3 ៛364.2K

237.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,904 ៛15.7M

55.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$20.10 ៛81.0K

189.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$22.47 ៛90.6K

43.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$44.51 ៛179.4K

126.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$41.40 ៛166.9K

160.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$246 ៛991.3K

93.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$172 ៛695.0K

118.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$468 ៛1.9M

80.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$352 ៛1.4M

107.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$198 ៛798.2K

211.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Battambang: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $246 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 211% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Battambang. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $223, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 61% 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 211% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $246 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $90.3 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 $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $640 in Battambang versus $1,031 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 $640 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 61% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.