Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bel Ombre Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bel Ombre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,061 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,744 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,428 in Bel Ombre.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 3% less than in Bel Ombre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bel Ombre 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$6.58 MUR 308

-10.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$43.60 MUR 2,040

-24.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.28 MUR 341

-1.10%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.54 MUR 119

-33.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.01 MUR 47.03

8.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.60 MUR 27.90

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.23 MUR 104

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.35 MUR 157

-7.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.68 MUR 78.5

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.66 MUR 30.83

89.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.28 MUR 59.8

8.59%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.35 MUR 110

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$11.79 MUR 551

-63.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.03 MUR 282

-3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$12.76 MUR 597

-30.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.07 MUR 96.9

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.93 MUR 90.5

-44.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.44 MUR 67.4

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.72 MUR 127

-49.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.00 MUR 46.64

13.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.94 MUR 44.02

19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.84 MUR 39.38

1.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.82 MUR 38.23

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$6.56 MUR 307

-64.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.65 MUR 405

28.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.81 MUR 84.6

-34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.19 MUR 102

8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.99 MUR 46.33

-20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$4.51 MUR 211

-68.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.61 MUR 122

-26.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$20.19 MUR 945

-60.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.46 MUR 68.5

-35.62%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-49.86%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

-5.63%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$48.57 MUR 2,272

72.86%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$18.54 MUR 867

-48.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$33.96 MUR 1,589

-28.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$38.85 MUR 1,818

-33.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.21 MUR 291

-36.88%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$155 MUR 7,236

98.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,951 MUR 184.9K

49.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$85.1 MUR 3,981

-31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$78.2 MUR 3,661

-59.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$130 MUR 6,090

-23.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$93.5 MUR 4,373

14.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$510 MUR 23.8K

-4.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$353 MUR 16.5K

4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$966 MUR 45.2K

-14.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$725 MUR 33.9K

-1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $510 in Bel Ombre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $44.00 in Bel Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $232 per month, with Medellin 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 Bel Ombre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Bel Ombre. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,591 in Bel Ombre to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $510 in Bel Ombre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $155 in Bel Ombre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $44.00 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,061 in Bel Ombre, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bel Ombre. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bel Ombre 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Bel Ombre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.