Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bien Hoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Bien Hoa: $671 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bien Hoa
Learn more

Bien Hoa Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bien Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bien Hoa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bien Hoa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $671 in Bien Hoa.

Medellin $1,639
Bien Hoa $671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $921 in Bien Hoa.

Medellin $2,413
Bien Hoa $921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,172 in Bien Hoa.

Medellin $3,186
Bien Hoa $1,172

Living in Medellin is roughly 144% more expensive than in Bien Hoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Bien Hoa is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.90 ₫48.9K

325.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$11.66 ₫300.9K

303.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.72 ₫121.9K

101.27%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.17 ₫30.2K

157.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.43 ₫11.0K

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.21 ₫5,417

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.52 ₫13.3K

511.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$0.78 ₫20.2K

637.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.23 ₫31.8K

22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.79 ₫20.5K

201.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.94 ₫24.2K

88.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.44 ₫37.1K

100.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.93 ₫307.7K

-14.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$1.96 ₫50.5K

403.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.82 ₫253.4K

42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.06 ₫53.2K

92.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.24 ₫32.1K

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.18 ₫30.3K

84.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.94 ₫24.2K

131.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.18 ₫30.5K

66.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.15 ₫29.6K

38.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.41 ₫10.5K

180.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.49 ₫12.7K

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.26 ₫32.4K

214.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.63 ₫197.0K

79.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.40 ₫10.2K

315.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$0.80 ₫20.7K

182.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.31 ₫8,119

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$6.53 ₫168.4K

1084.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.49 ₫12.6K

159.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.56 ₫14.4K

266.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.13 ₫29.2K

656.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.86 ₫22.1K

56.98%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$31.0K ₫800.4M

9.82%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$29.5K ₫761.4M

17.50%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$50.9 ₫1.3M

233.50%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$4.13 ₫106.6K

228.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$6.59 ₫169.9K

325.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$10.97 ₫283.0K

298.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$7.86 ₫202.8K

118.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.42 ₫88.3K

102.05%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$67.4 ₫1.7M

1082.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$14.6K ₫376.4M

-37.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$15.21 ₫392.4K

457.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$15.57 ₫401.8K

272.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$68.0 ₫1.8M

98.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$94.6 ₫2.4M

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$408 ₫10.5M

196.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$279 ₫7.2M

130.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$423 ₫10.9M

379.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$305 ₫7.9M

231.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,244 ₫57.9M

85.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,241 ₫32.0M

53.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$315 ₫8.1M

108.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.8

40.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bien Hoa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bien Hoa

$279 41.6% 56.5% $363

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bien Hoa

$164 24.5% 44.7% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bien Hoa

$62 9.2% 70.8% $150

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bien Hoa

$50 7.5% 70.5% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bien Hoa

$87 13% 48.5% $82

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bien Hoa

$11 1.7% 88.2% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bien Hoa

$18 2.7% 69% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $408 in Bien Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.1 times 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: $47 in Medellin vs $12 in Bien Hoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $164 per month, with Bien Hoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Bien Hoa

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

08:02 8:02 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,272,235

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bien Hoa 18,080 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bien Hoa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 59% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $408 in Bien Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% 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 $12 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $671 in Bien Hoa versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.