Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bijeljina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijeljina: $910 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
Learn more

Bijeljina Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bijeljina

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $910 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Bijeljina $910

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,411 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Bijeljina $1,411

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,911 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Bijeljina $1,911

Medellin costs about 77% more than Bijeljina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bijeljina is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$8.33 BAM 14.49

-4.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$33.75 BAM 58.7

36.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.70 BAM 8.17

102.13%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.46 BAM 2.55

113.01%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.74 BAM 3.03

5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.05 BAM 1.83

31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.74 BAM 3.03

75.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.32 BAM 4.03

137.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.49 BAM 2.60

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.16 BAM 2.02

103.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.64 BAM 2.85

2.44%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.14 BAM 5.47

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.66 BAM 13.32

33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.99 BAM 13.89

19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.56 BAM 20.11

21.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.61 BAM 2.80

152.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.84 BAM 3.21

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.77 BAM 3.07

22.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.70 BAM 4.69

-14.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.53 BAM 2.66

26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.41 BAM 2.45

16.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.14 BAM 1.98

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.61 BAM 1.07

104.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.85 BAM 6.69

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$8.45 BAM 14.70

57.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.82 BAM 1.43

107.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.46 BAM 2.54

62.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$2.26 BAM 3.93

-46.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$17.43 BAM 30.31

338.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.45 BAM 2.53

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.54 BAM 0.95

296.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$10.45 BAM 18.17

-18.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.48 BAM 2.58

-12.16%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$27.1K BAM 47.2K

3.17%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$20.5K BAM 35.6K

73.08%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$139 BAM 242

23.66%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$18.30 BAM 31.82

-26.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$23.35 BAM 40.60

23.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$29.77 BAM 51.8

51.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$8.45 BAM 14.70

101.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.80 BAM 8.35

30.83%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$201 BAM 349

283.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$4,009 BAM 6,972

124.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$57.0 BAM 99.1

51.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$26.07 BAM 45.33

119.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$127 BAM 221

7.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$118 BAM 206

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$250 BAM 435

321.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$163 BAM 283

278.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$349 BAM 607

442.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$281 BAM 488

264.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,803 BAM 3,135

125.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,339 BAM 2,329

25.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$750 BAM 1,304

-13.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bijeljina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Bijeljina

$163 17.9% 73.6% $453

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Bijeljina

$226 24.9% 23.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Bijeljina

$181 19.9% 15.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Bijeljina

$148 16.2% 13.2% $22

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Bijeljina

$123 13.5% 27.1% $46

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Bijeljina

$31 3.4% 67.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Bijeljina

$39 4.3% 31.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $250 in Bijeljina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Bijeljina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in Bijeljina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $226 – making Bijeljina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

03:03 3:03 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

42,278

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bijeljina 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bijeljina

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 Bijeljina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $910 in Bijeljina – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,366 in Bijeljina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bijeljina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $910 in Bijeljina. That's a gap of about 77%.

Public transport costs about 339% less in Bijeljina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bijeljina, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Bijeljina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $910 in Bijeljina to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bijeljina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.