Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Binh Duong

For one person, living is cheaper in Binh Duong: $577 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Binh Duong
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Binh Duong Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Binh Duong

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Binh Duong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $577 in Binh Duong.

Medellin $1,692
Binh Duong $577

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $967 in Binh Duong.

Medellin $2,471
Binh Duong $967

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,358 in Binh Duong.

Medellin $3,249
Binh Duong $1,358

Living in Medellin is roughly 193% more expensive than in Binh Duong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Binh Duong is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$2.15 ₫55.2K

287.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$23.71 ₫609.3K

96.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$3.38 ₫86.9K

180.18%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.64 ₫42.2K

90.85%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.50 ₫12.8K

254.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.28 ₫7,098

407.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.72 ₫18.4K

337.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$0.95 ₫24.5K

500.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.61 ₫41.3K

-4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.82 ₫21.2K

179.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.62 ₫15.8K

212.90%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.54 ₫39.7K

99.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$11.70 ₫300.6K

-14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.40 ₫87.3K

207.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$10.02 ₫257.5K

39.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.19 ₫56.2K

84.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.61 ₫15.6K

150.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$0.67 ₫17.2K

213.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.04 ₫26.7K

120.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$0.95 ₫24.5K

122.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.05 ₫27.1K

62.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.75 ₫19.2K

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.50 ₫12.8K

216.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$0.82 ₫21.0K

376.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$9.88 ₫254.0K

42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$0.60 ₫15.5K

193.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$0.99 ₫25.3K

173.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.34 ₫8,622

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$7.71 ₫198.1K

889.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.37 ₫9,577

389.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.55 ₫14.2K

287.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$3.03 ₫77.9K

168.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$0.78 ₫20.0K

64.10%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$31.4K ₫807.1M

9.66%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$29.1K ₫747.6M

17.33%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$39.55 ₫1.0M

349.38%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$5.84 ₫150.2K

137.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$6.64 ₫170.6K

362.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$20.47 ₫525.9K

104.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$7.70 ₫197.9K

118.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$2.97 ₫76.3K

151.52%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$383 ₫9.8M

106.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$26.9K ₫692.0M

-54.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$32.23 ₫828.3K

167.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$15.32 ₫393.7K

286.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$77.4 ₫2.0M

78.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$70.6 ₫1.8M

39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$262 ₫6.7M

411.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$166 ₫4.3M

301.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$624 ₫16.0M

216.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$382 ₫9.8M

170.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,611 ₫41.4M

154.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$955 ₫24.5M

103.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$353 ₫9.1M

83.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.64

26.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Binh Duong: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Binh Duong

$166 28.8% 75.1% $501

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Binh Duong

$176 30.6% 42.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Binh Duong

$52 9% 76.6% $170

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Binh Duong

$56 9.7% 67.8% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Binh Duong

$88 15.3% 48.9% $84

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Binh Duong

$12 2.1% 87% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Binh Duong

$26 4.6% 53.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $262 in Binh Duong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 83% 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 $24 in Binh Duong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $176 per month, with Binh Duong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Binh Duong

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

23:22 11:22 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

373,105

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.89 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 25,699 VND (100,000 VND = 3.89 USD). 1 EUR = 28,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Binh Duong 18,080 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Binh Duong

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 Binh Duong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $577 in Binh Duong, so Binh Duong is about 66% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 83% 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $262 in Binh Duong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Binh Duong – a meal for two runs $24 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $577 in Binh Duong – Binh Duong is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $577 in Binh Duong versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Binh Duong but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Binh Duong 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 Binh Duong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.