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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,043 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,736 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,430 in Bel Ombre.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bel Ombre 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.44 MUR 303

-7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$44.83 MUR 2,111

-25.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.11 MUR 335

1.69%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.60 MUR 122

-37.31%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.04 MUR 48.88

4.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.57 MUR 26.64

28.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.14 MUR 101

-18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.33 MUR 157

-3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.68 MUR 78.9

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.69 MUR 32.65

86.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.32 MUR 62.3

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.34 MUR 110

-2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$11.66 MUR 549

-62.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.02 MUR 283

-2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$12.50 MUR 588

-31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.98 MUR 93.3

13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.92 MUR 90.6

-44.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.50 MUR 70.7

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.74 MUR 129

-48.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.00 MUR 46.97

17.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.93 MUR 43.73

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.79 MUR 37.06

12.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.79 MUR 37.42

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.63 MUR 312

-66.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.34 MUR 393

32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.77 MUR 83.4

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.18 MUR 103

9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.03 MUR 48.54

-18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$4.44 MUR 209

-68.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$2.70 MUR 127

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$20.14 MUR 948

-61.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.39 MUR 65.6

-27.34%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-50.73%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.2K MUR 1.3M

-6.21%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$49.67 MUR 2,339

68.47%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$18.19 MUR 857

-48.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$33.38 MUR 1,572

-27.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$38.59 MUR 1,817

-34.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.98 MUR 282

-31.44%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$151 MUR 7,116

106.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,888 MUR 183.1K

54.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$85.8 MUR 4,042

-32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$80.4 MUR 3,785

-59.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$131 MUR 6,152

-23.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$93.2 MUR 4,387

16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$514 MUR 24.2K

-6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$354 MUR 16.7K

7.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$959 MUR 45.1K

-12.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$712 MUR 33.5K

1.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $514 in Bel Ombre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $45.00 in Bel Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $229 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 $1,525 in Medellin and $1,564 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: $482 in Medellin versus $514 in Bel Ombre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $151 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 $45.00 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,043 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 $1,017 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.