Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bellville Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bellville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $882 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,417 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,951 in Bellville.

Living in Medellin is roughly 17% more expensive than Bellville, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bellville 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$10.83 R 182

-45.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$22.51 R 378

45.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.18 R 86.8

39.00%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.76 R 29.52

-3.41%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.15 R 19.36

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.82 R 13.79

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.12 R 35.56

-21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.58 R 43.31

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.05 R 17.59

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.87 R 14.63

43.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.52 R 25.56

-8.55%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.47 R 41.46

-8.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.23 R 70.9

2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.55 R 76.4

28.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.13 R 120

23.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.07 R 17.96

109.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.44 R 24.14

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.08 R 18.14

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.09 R 18.26

25.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.08 R 18.10

4.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.20 R 20.12

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.75 R 12.63

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.95 R 15.85

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.46 R 41.27

-5.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$3.60 R 60.3

209.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.03 R 17.30

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.70 R 28.52

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.69 R 28.31

-53.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$20.52 R 344

100.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.58 R 9.74

148.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.39 R 6.56

389.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.73 R 45.73

193.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.20 R 20.13

-21.67%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.9K R 350.4K

-14.23%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$19.3K R 324.0K

38.65%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$56.9 R 953

47.69%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$33.15 R 556

-71.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$28.38 R 476

-14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$30.52 R 512

-15.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.74 R 113

-41.84%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$84.2 R 1,412

263.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,206 R 87.3K

13.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$25.61 R 429

126.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$11.24 R 189

183.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$84.4 R 1,416

18.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$50.3 R 844

112.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$368 R 6,172

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$335 R 5,621

9.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$684 R 11.5K

20.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$699 R 11.7K

2.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$771 R 12.9K

279.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$687 R 11.5K

104.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,108 R 18.6K

-50.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.77

14.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bellville: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $368 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellville pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $152 per month, with Bellville 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 Bellville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bellville earns 103% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $368 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $882 in Bellville versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $882 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bellville 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 Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.