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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,022 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,619 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,216 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 24% lower, Bhisho 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$8.48 R 139

-29.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$33.22 R 543

-1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.84 R 79.0

46.49%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.03 R 33.24

-15.76%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.04 R 16.96

5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.76 R 12.39

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.22 R 36.25

-24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.49 R 40.69

23.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.10 R 18.05

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.06 R 17.28

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.62 R 26.52

-14.81%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.38 R 38.96

-7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.48 R 122

-41.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.63 R 75.7

21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$6.82 R 112

30.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.60 R 26.16

46.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.53 R 24.99

-30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.49 R 24.39

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.58 R 25.84

-12.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.32 R 21.64

-12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.24 R 20.28

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.09 R 17.81

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.99 R 16.13

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.83 R 46.23

-19.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.03 R 82.2

111.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.38 R 22.48

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.65 R 27.00

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.67 R 27.36

-48.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$22.84 R 373

81.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.13 R 18.55

30.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.93 R 15.28

110.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$4.09 R 66.9

89.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.23 R 20.09

-22.76%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$21.0K R 343.5K

-13.72%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$24.2K R 395.0K

9.61%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$119 R 1,939

-30.65%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$34.55 R 565

-72.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$40.91 R 669

-40.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$30.43 R 497

-14.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$11.01 R 180

72.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.87 R 112

-42.79%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$199 R 3,258

55.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,387 R 71.7K

35.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$49.69 R 812

18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$31.95 R 522

1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$88.0 R 1,438

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$79.3 R 1,297

36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$366 R 5,984

30.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$333 R 5,442

13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$692 R 11.3K

21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$695 R 11.4K

4.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$908 R 14.8K

207.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$715 R 11.7K

69.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$3,353 R 54.8K

-84.74%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $366 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 555% 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 $33.00 in Bhisho. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $178, 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, Bhisho earns 555% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $366 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $199 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bhisho pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,022 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 $1,013 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.