Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bien Hoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bien Hoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $625 in Bien Hoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $893 in Bien Hoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,161 in Bien Hoa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 63% more expensive than Bien Hoa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bien Hoa 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$1.96 ₫51.5K

203.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$11.48 ₫301.3K

190.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.56 ₫119.7K

58.55%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.16 ₫30.5K

40.52%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.45 ₫11.7K

142.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.23 ₫6,050

217.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.56 ₫14.7K

210.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$0.75 ₫19.8K

330.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.27 ₫33.3K

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.76 ₫19.9K

69.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.87 ₫23.0K

51.72%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.40 ₫36.8K

62.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$11.87 ₫311.7K

-63.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$1.88 ₫49.4K

212.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.64 ₫253.0K

-10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.08 ₫54.5K

8.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.11 ₫29.2K

-3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.17 ₫30.7K

29.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.94 ₫24.8K

51.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.11 ₫29.2K

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.23 ₫32.3K

-4.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.44 ₫11.5K

102.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.47 ₫12.2K

91.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.28 ₫33.6K

75.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.76 ₫203.8K

42.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.40 ₫10.4K

185.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$0.76 ₫19.9K

213.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.35 ₫9,092

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$7.08 ₫185.8K

492.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.40 ₫10.5K

252.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.65 ₫17.1K

192.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.17 ₫30.6K

562.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.84 ₫22.0K

20.24%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$38.1K ₫999.0M

-53.81%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.1K ₫737.4M

-5.68%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$51.4 ₫1.4M

62.71%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$4.25 ₫111.6K

122.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$7.04 ₫184.9K

242.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$10.76 ₫282.4K

135.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$7.60 ₫199.5K

151.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$3.41 ₫89.5K

20.23%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$65.8 ₫1.7M

373.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$14.1K ₫371.2M

-57.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$17.30 ₫454.1K

235.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$15.22 ₫399.6K

113.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$70.7 ₫1.9M

40.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$85.6 ₫2.2M

26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$358 ₫9.4M

34.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$246 ₫6.5M

53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$424 ₫11.1M

97.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$308 ₫8.1M

134.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,549 ₫40.7M

83.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$618 ₫16.2M

97.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$338 ₫8.9M

60.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.8

72.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bien Hoa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $358 in Bien Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 60% 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 $11.00 in Bien Hoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $162 per month, with Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 60% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $358 in Bien Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $625 in Bien Hoa versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bien Hoa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bien Hoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bien Hoa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.