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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,040 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,623 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,207 in Bhisho.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Bhisho, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bhisho 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$8.47 R 140

-27.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$33.85 R 559

-3.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.94 R 81.5

48.58%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.06 R 33.98

-16.50%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.99 R 16.36

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.82 R 13.47

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.23 R 36.76

-24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.54 R 41.84

24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.11 R 18.39

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.01 R 16.69

28.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.64 R 27.01

-14.63%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.42 R 39.98

-10.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.63 R 126

-42.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.46 R 73.6

31.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.80 R 112

27.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.65 R 27.24

38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.54 R 25.38

-27.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.53 R 25.24

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.66 R 27.36

-18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.37 R 22.64

-17.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.23 R 20.37

-8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.05 R 17.36

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.89 R 14.75

2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.87 R 47.38

-18.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.76 R 78.6

159.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.32 R 21.86

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.64 R 27.03

51.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.68 R 27.79

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$22.44 R 370

80.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.15 R 18.98

23.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.96 R 15.88

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.10 R 67.6

86.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.23 R 20.34

-19.51%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$21.7K R 357.3K

-16.73%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$23.5K R 388.0K

13.25%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$119 R 1,963

-32.07%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$34.53 R 570

-71.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$42.17 R 696

-42.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$30.90 R 510

-18.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$11.35 R 187

68.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.81 R 112

-41.56%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$200 R 3,294

52.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,334 R 71.5K

39.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$49.70 R 820

16.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$32.61 R 538

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$89.8 R 1,482

12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$78.8 R 1,300

36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$359 R 5,920

32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$331 R 5,456

13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$691 R 11.4K

22.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$688 R 11.4K

6.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$825 R 13.6K

289.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$712 R 11.7K

92.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$3,311 R 54.6K

-81.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.51

16.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $359 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 437% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Bhisho. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $176, with Bhisho cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Bhisho. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 437% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $359 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $200 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bhisho pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,040 in Bhisho, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bhisho. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Bhisho. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.