Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bhisho Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bhisho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,177 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,853 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,528 in Bhisho.

Living in Medellin is roughly 46% more expensive than in Bhisho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Bhisho is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$11.15 R 178

-27.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$43.00 R 686

12.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$6.07 R 96.9

60.96%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.16 R 34.52

34.72%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.04 R 16.62

86.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.75 R 11.94

102.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.74 R 43.77

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.37 R 53.8

70.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.20 R 19.17

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.05 R 16.68

127.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.51 R 24.13

12.58%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.77 R 44.22

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$9.16 R 146

8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.66 R 90.3

90.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$8.58 R 137

71.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.25 R 35.89

81.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.59 R 25.36

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.75 R 27.92

21.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.77 R 28.22

24.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.73 R 27.57

18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.47 R 23.49

2.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.34 R 21.34

-11.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.05 R 16.78

10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.28 R 52.3

18.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$4.84 R 77.3

198.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.32 R 21.05

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.83 R 29.16

54.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.54 R 24.56

-24.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$25.08 R 400

209.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.60 R 9.61

113.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.52 R 8.31

301.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$8.72 R 139

-1.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.47 R 23.40

-11.56%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$36.8K R 587.1K

-24.86%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$35.0K R 558.1K

1.49%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$126 R 2,005

40.06%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$36.35 R 580

-63.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$46.66 R 744

-35.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$32.46 R 518

37.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$12.46 R 199

36.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$11.10 R 177

-44.14%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$186 R 2,973

325.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,245 R 99.6K

44.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$74.4 R 1,187

15.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$41.23 R 658

41.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$113 R 1,807

20.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$99.0 R 1,580

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$413 R 6,590

156.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$382 R 6,100

77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$761 R 12.1K

164.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$774 R 12.4K

50.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$894 R 14.3K

360.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$651 R 10.4K

161.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$3,339 R 53.3K

-80.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.94

-8.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $413 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 402% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Bhisho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $204 per month, with Bhisho 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 Bhisho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhisho wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bhisho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 402% lower in Bhisho. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $413 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $186 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,177 in Bhisho versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bhisho but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bhisho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bhisho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,177 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bhisho hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bhisho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.