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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $668 in Bien Hoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $917 in Bien Hoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,166 in Bien Hoa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 152% more expensive than in Bien Hoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bien Hoa is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.90 ₫49.3K

322.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$11.38 ₫295.9K

320.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.70 ₫122.3K

110.43%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.13 ₫29.3K

176.99%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.42 ₫10.9K

354.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.23 ₫5,994

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$0.56 ₫14.5K

457.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$0.79 ₫20.6K

627.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.29 ₫33.5K

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.75 ₫19.6K

232.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.88 ₫23.0K

101.14%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.35 ₫35.2K

119.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$12.01 ₫312.2K

-16.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$1.87 ₫48.6K

441.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.56 ₫248.6K

49.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.07 ₫53.8K

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.30 ₫33.7K

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.18 ₫30.7K

90.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.99 ₫25.7K

127.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.18 ₫30.6K

72.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.17 ₫30.5K

31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.44 ₫11.4K

165.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.46 ₫11.9K

184.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.21 ₫31.5K

222.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.89 ₫205.0K

77.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.42 ₫10.9K

314.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$0.73 ₫19.0K

293.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.32 ₫8,212

281.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$6.65 ₫172.8K

1110.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.49 ₫12.7K

167.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.56 ₫14.4K

291.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.12 ₫29.1K

677.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.93 ₫24.1K

47.31%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$30.2K ₫785.8M

-7.91%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$30.6K ₫795.2M

16.94%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$50.8 ₫1.3M

248.88%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.14 ₫107.7K

235.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$6.50 ₫168.9K

357.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$10.87 ₫282.6K

312.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$7.76 ₫201.7K

120.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.29 ₫85.6K

102.13%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$66.7 ₫1.7M

1118.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$14.5K ₫377.3M

-36.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$15.07 ₫391.7K

493.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$15.35 ₫399.0K

284.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$68.5 ₫1.8M

101.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$94.6 ₫2.5M

7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$418 ₫10.9M

154.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$277 ₫7.2M

139.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$427 ₫11.1M

342.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$312 ₫8.1M

229.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,892 ₫75.2M

44.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,286 ₫33.4M

30.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$308 ₫8.0M

119.99%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bien Hoa: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $418 in Bien Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 120% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Bien Hoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $164 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 120% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $418 in Bien Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% 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 $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Bien Hoa versus $1,681 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 152% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.