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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $890 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,397 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,904 in Bellville.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than in Bellville, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bellville 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$11.07 R 182

-45.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$22.03 R 362

49.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.94 R 81.2

50.20%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.81 R 29.72

-8.84%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$1.15 R 18.84

-6.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.89 R 14.66

-14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$2.04 R 33.58

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.45 R 40.31

30.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.04 R 17.10

0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.81 R 13.27

61.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.50 R 24.68

-10.67%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.48 R 40.78

-11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$4.24 R 69.7

4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$4.34 R 71.4

31.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$7.29 R 120

16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$1.07 R 17.61

118.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.43 R 23.53

-22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.04 R 17.17

46.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.10 R 18.06

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.12 R 18.42

2.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.23 R 20.14

-4.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.70 R 11.49

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$1.01 R 16.65

-14.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$2.58 R 42.46

-12.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$6.43 R 106

80.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$0.99 R 16.28

21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.75 R 28.82

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$1.62 R 26.61

-51.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$20.26 R 333

101.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$0.58 R 9.54

153.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.39 R 6.43

392.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$2.71 R 44.56

186.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.25 R 20.59

-19.20%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$21.1K R 346.9K

-16.33%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$19.5K R 321.1K

35.41%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$56.0 R 921

44.72%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$33.16 R 545

-71.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$27.80 R 457

-14.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$31.39 R 516

-17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$6.79 R 112

-39.76%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$85.5 R 1,406

267.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$5,368 R 88.2K

12.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$25.26 R 415

136.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$11.01 R 181

190.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$83.1 R 1,365

21.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$51.0 R 838

106.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$362 R 5,951

34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$333 R 5,482

9.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$682 R 11.2K

21.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$687 R 11.3K

6.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$968 R 15.9K

209.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$750 R 12.3K

75.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Bellville: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $362 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $156 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 16% 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 $1,542 in Medellin and $1,335 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: $485 in Medellin versus $362 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 $22.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Bellville versus $1,028 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 $890 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 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.