Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bayamo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bayamo: $1,495 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bayamo
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Bayamo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Bayamo

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bayamo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,495 in Bayamo.

Medellin $1,625
Bayamo $1,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $2,078 in Bayamo.

Medellin $2,412
Bayamo $2,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,662 in Bayamo.

Medellin $3,199
Bayamo $2,662

Living in Medellin is roughly 9% more expensive than in Bayamo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bayamo 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.19 CUP 76.7

160.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$49.86 CUP 1,197

-5.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.87 CUP 165

34.50%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.30 CUP 79.1

-7.58%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.45 CUP 34.73

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.08 CUP 25.82

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.02 CUP 48.52

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.71 CUP 41.16

225.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.96 CUP 71.1

-49.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.99 CUP 23.67

139.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.03 CUP 72.6

-43.89%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.64 CUP 87.4

-18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.91 CUP 142

72.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.86 CUP 141

66.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.89 CUP 285

16.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$5.01 CUP 120

-17.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.18 CUP 28.39

29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.54 CUP 36.92

44.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.49 CUP 35.67

52.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.06 CUP 49.33

-3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$3.03 CUP 72.6

-44.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.02 CUP 24.46

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.09 CUP 26.12

13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.92 CUP 94.1

-1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.84 CUP 236

40.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.97 CUP 47.40

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.96 CUP 47.06

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.18 CUP 4.27

588.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$35.49 CUP 852

120.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.30 CUP 55.3

-44.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.41 CUP 9.91

424.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$19.86 CUP 477

-57.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.23 CUP 29.42

9.76%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$76.0K CUP 1.8M

-54.23%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$90.5K CUP 2.2M

-61.69%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$29.76 CUP 714

459.98%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$9.84 CUP 236

38.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$251 CUP 6,013

-88.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$39.21 CUP 941

15.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$9.84 CUP 236

74.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$1.01 CUP 24.30

590.10%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$96.4 CUP 2,313

719.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$14.8K CUP 354.8K

-38.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$19.61 CUP 471

347.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$25.03 CUP 601

132.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$69.5 CUP 1,668

100.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$55.2 CUP 1,325

79.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$418 CUP 10.0K

146.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$680 CUP 16.3K

-8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$581 CUP 13.9K

223.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$960 CUP 23.0K

5.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$396 CUP 9,497

907.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$352 CUP 8,441

383.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$19.86 CUP 477

3240.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bayamo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Bayamo

$680 45.5% 9.8% $61

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Bayamo

$257 17.2% 13.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Bayamo

$290 19.4% 38.6% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Bayamo

$76 5.1% 55.9% $97

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Bayamo

$109 7.3% 36% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Bayamo

$41 2.7% 57.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Bayamo

$41 2.8% 30.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $418 in Bayamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3240% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Bayamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $257, with Bayamo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇺 Bayamo

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

225,567

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bayamo 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bayamo

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 Bayamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bayamo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3240% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $418 in Bayamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayamo – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,495 in Bayamo – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,495 in Bayamo versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bayamo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bayamo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bayamo 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 Bayamo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.