Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Binjai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Binjai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $630 in Binjai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $999 in Binjai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,368 in Binjai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 167% more expensive than in Binjai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Binjai is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.87 Rp 33.1K

328.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$13.39 Rp 237.1K

257.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$3.68 Rp 65.1K

168.75%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.50 Rp 26.6K

108.67%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.42 Rp 7,358

354.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.21 Rp 3,645

619.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.50 Rp 44.3K

24.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.75 Rp 66.3K

53.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.25 Rp 22.2K

99.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

145.83%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.29 Rp 22.9K

129.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.58 Rp 116.5K

53.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.74 Rp 48.6K

269.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.08 Rp 143.1K

76.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.15 Rp 38.0K

92.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.40 Rp 24.8K

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.47 Rp 26.1K

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.31 Rp 23.2K

71.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.22 Rp 21.6K

67.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

-12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.85 Rp 15.1K

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.37 Rp 6,537

254.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.83 Rp 50.1K

37.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$21.70 Rp 384.2K

-35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.87 Rp 33.1K

-6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.64 Rp 46.7K

8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.25 Rp 4,483

388.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.56 Rp 9,978

133.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.30 Rp 5,244

630.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.66 Rp 47.1K

227.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

75.64%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$26.2K Rp 464.1M

6.19%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.8K Rp 491.5M

28.87%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

155.70%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.25 Rp 75.3K

226.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$19.66 Rp 348.1K

51.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$19.67 Rp 348.2K

128.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$7.88 Rp 139.6K

117.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.16 Rp 55.9K

110.44%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$92.1 Rp 1.6M

782.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,718 Rp 136.7M

19.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$39.81 Rp 704.9K

124.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$25.09 Rp 444.2K

135.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$70.1 Rp 1.2M

97.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$64.3 Rp 1.1M

58.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$248 Rp 4.4M

329.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$141 Rp 2.5M

369.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$645 Rp 11.4M

192.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$381 Rp 6.7M

169.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,248 Rp 22.1M

235.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$579 Rp 10.2M

189.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.46

15.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Binjai: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $248 in Binjai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $13.00 in Binjai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $194 per month, with Binjai 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 Binjai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $945 in Binjai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $248 in Binjai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $630 in Binjai – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $630 in Binjai versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binjai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Binjai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binjai 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.

Expats usually find Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.