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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,160 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,789 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,418 in Bellville.

Living in Medellin is roughly 45% more expensive than in Bellville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bellville is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$12.29 R 198

-35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$24.25 R 391

83.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$6.22 R 100

49.36%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$1.96 R 31.64

47.96%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.44 R 23.14

25.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.98 R 15.83

58.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.32 R 37.42

40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$3.67 R 59.1

60.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.44 R 23.21

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.27 R 20.49

92.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$2.27 R 36.53

-33.48%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$3.04 R 48.89

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$8.70 R 140

4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$6.89 R 111

54.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$9.13 R 147

60.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.91 R 30.80

107.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.83 R 29.45

-24.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.66 R 26.82

38.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$2.07 R 33.41

-2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.53 R 24.63

36.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.53 R 24.63

6.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.30 R 20.90

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.22 R 19.64

2.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.34 R 53.8

20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$6.28 R 101

114.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.38 R 22.22

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.33 R 37.56

28.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$1.51 R 24.30

-21.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.64 R 10.34

151.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.47 R 23.73

44.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$5.13 R 82.6

66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.53 R 24.65

-11.76%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$36.2K R 582.9K

-21.73%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$33.6K R 541.0K

6.27%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$124 R 2,004

21.68%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$30.98 R 499

-57.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$39.33 R 634

-17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$32.85 R 529

41.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$9.48 R 153

-32.17%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$241 R 3,888

245.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$6,213 R 100.1K

43.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$54.3 R 875

64.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$31.83 R 513

73.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$119 R 1,918

14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$114 R 1,841

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$404 R 6,502

135.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$381 R 6,136

75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$768 R 12.4K

163.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$751 R 12.1K

52.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$880 R 14.2K

320.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$643 R 10.4K

146.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.16

-6.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Bellville: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $404 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $225 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 45% 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.

You'd need roughly $2,530 in Medellin and $1,740 in Bellville 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: $952 in Medellin versus $404 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $1,160 in Bellville – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,160 in Bellville versus $1,687 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 $1,160 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 45% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.