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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $646 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,001 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,356 in Battambang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than Battambang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Battambang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.45 ៛9,848

144.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$17.89 ៛71.9K

83.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.63 ៛22.6K

25.93%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.52 ៛6,126

12.50%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.63 ៛2,542

74.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.52 ៛2,097

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$0.78 ៛3,131

115.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.48 ៛5,944

107.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.07 ៛8,327

-47.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.51 ៛6,087

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.02 ៛4,090

35.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.74 ៛7,014

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.75 ៛51.3K

-65.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.12 ៛16.6K

36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$10.15 ៛40.8K

-12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.55 ៛10.2K

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.61 ៛6,478

-34.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.37 ៛9,525

-36.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.46 ៛5,855

-5.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.52 ៛6,117

-24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.19 ៛4,795

-2.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.43 ៛5,755

-37.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.51 ៛2,054

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.97 ៛7,935

15.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$12.13 ៛48.8K

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.81 ៛3,253

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$0.99 ៛3,963

149.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.97 ៛3,913

51.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.02 ៛4,115

92.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$4.04 ៛16.2K

91.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.12 ៛4,514

-15.18%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$49.1K ៛197.6M

-63.10%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$36.4K ៛146.4M

-27.26%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$53.1 ៛213.4K

55.01%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$1.53 ៛6,163

520.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$23.23 ៛93.4K

4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$22.41 ៛90.1K

15.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.37 ៛17.6K

-10.07%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$90.0 ៛361.8K

243.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,977 ៛16.0M

50.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$19.77 ៛79.5K

196.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$22.24 ៛89.4K

45.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$44.13 ៛177.4K

132.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$42.11 ៛169.3K

157.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$252 ៛1.0M

88.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$174 ៛700.0K

117.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$472 ៛1.9M

77.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$354 ៛1.4M

104.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$203 ៛815.3K

152.41%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Battambang: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $252 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 152% 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 $188 vs $224, 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 57% 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.

Medellin pays 152% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $252 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $90.0 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 $646 in Battambang versus $1,013 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 $646 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 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.