Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bihac

For one person, living is cheaper in Bihac: $974 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bihac
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Bihac Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Bihac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bihac

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 Bihac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $974 in Bihac.

Medellin $1,589
Bihac $974

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,447 in Bihac.

Medellin $2,364
Bihac $1,447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $1,920 in Bihac.

Medellin $3,139
Bihac $1,920

Living in Medellin is roughly 63% more expensive than in Bihac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bihac is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$6.87 BAM 11.98

16.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$29.08 BAM 50.7

60.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$5.80 BAM 10.12

62.59%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$1.13 BAM 1.97

157.52%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.17 BAM 2.05

49.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.91 BAM 1.58

45.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.48 BAM 2.59

111.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$1.76 BAM 3.06

215.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.37 BAM 2.39

2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.05 BAM 1.84

132.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$2.31 BAM 4.03

-29.44%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$3.04 BAM 5.30

-7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$9.96 BAM 17.37

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$7.21 BAM 12.58

29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$11.33 BAM 19.76

18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.73 BAM 3.01

131.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.79 BAM 3.13

-17.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.45 BAM 2.53

46.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.05 BAM 3.59

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.13 BAM 1.98

69.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.49 BAM 2.60

8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.92 BAM 1.60

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.90 BAM 1.57

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$3.59 BAM 6.27

6.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$8.13 BAM 14.18

61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.33 BAM 2.32

20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.08 BAM 3.63

8.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$1.30 BAM 2.26

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$34.93 BAM 61.0

114.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.18 BAM 2.06

7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.99 BAM 1.74

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$10.49 BAM 18.31

-21.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.43 BAM 2.50

-11.19%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$30.6K BAM 53.4K

-12.49%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$22.1K BAM 38.5K

55.91%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$202 BAM 353

-19.81%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$18.53 BAM 32.33

-29.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$22.20 BAM 38.73

26.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$33.21 BAM 57.9

33.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$11.59 BAM 20.21

40.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$5.67 BAM 9.88

7.41%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$143 BAM 250

434.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$3,891 BAM 6,789

128.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$28.95 BAM 50.5

193.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$17.25 BAM 30.10

233.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$95.4 BAM 166

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$119 BAM 208

-19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$220 BAM 383

368.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$201 BAM 350

201.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$302 BAM 527

496.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$271 BAM 474

265.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,445 BAM 2,522

171.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,326 BAM 2,313

23.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$787 BAM 1,373

-20.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.3

154.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bihac: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Bihac

$201 20.4% 66.8% $404

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Bihac

$229 23.2% 20.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Bihac

$243 24.7% 19.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Bihac

$117 11.9% 29.5% $49

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Bihac

$105 10.7% 36.8% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Bihac

$46 4.7% 49.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Bihac

$45 4.5% 21.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $220 in Bihac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bihac pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Bihac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $229 per month, with Bihac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇦 Bihac

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

09:21 9:21 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

39,690

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Bihac 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bihac

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 Bihac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bihac differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $974 including rent). Bihac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Bihac. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $220 in Bihac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bihac – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $974 in Bihac – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $974 in Bihac versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bihac but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bihac 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bihac 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 Bihac 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.