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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $626 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,044 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,462 in Bel Ombre.

Living in Medellin is roughly 169% more expensive than in Bel Ombre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bel Ombre is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.77 MUR 274

38.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$37.89 MUR 1,800

26.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.31 MUR 347

35.29%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.60 MUR 123

20.38%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.14 MUR 54.2

67.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.62 MUR 29.61

143.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.68 MUR 127

16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.84 MUR 230

18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.56 MUR 74.3

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.74 MUR 35.23

236.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.11 MUR 52.9

59.46%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.61 MUR 124

13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$5.20 MUR 247

93.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.55 MUR 311

54.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.35 MUR 539

25.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.77 MUR 132

49.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.72 MUR 129

-40.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.44 MUR 68.2

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.94 MUR 140

-23.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.95 MUR 44.94

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.94 MUR 44.71

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.69 MUR 32.72

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.92 MUR 43.84

42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$6.53 MUR 310

-40.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$8.31 MUR 395

68.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.72 MUR 81.7

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.34 MUR 111

22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$4.26 MUR 202

-69.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$3.25 MUR 155

-32.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$21.33 MUR 1,013

-59.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.38 MUR 65.6

-0.72%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-23.49%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$30.6K MUR 1.5M

16.83%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$44.32 MUR 2,105

300.05%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$10.40 MUR 494

33.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$28.97 MUR 1,376

2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.30 MUR 299

5.56%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$126 MUR 5,992

544.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$7,766 MUR 368.9K

18.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$77.4 MUR 3,675

15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$75.4 MUR 3,581

-21.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$121 MUR 5,757

14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$76.6 MUR 3,639

33.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Bel Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $219 per month, with Bel Ombre 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

Bel Ombre wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Ombre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $938 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.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $126 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 Bel Ombre – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $626 in Bel Ombre versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Ombre but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Ombre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Ombre delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $626 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Ombre 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 Bel Ombre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.