Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bonwapitse Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bonwapitse

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $613 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $960 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,307 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Medellin costs about 68% more than Bonwapitse, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Bonwapitse are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Bonwapitse 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$7.53 P 99.7

-18.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$30.12 P 399

8.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.15 P 81.4

19.35%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.21 P 29.20

-22.17%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.89 P 11.79

17.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.47 P 6.20

63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.26 P 29.88

-25.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.89 P 38.29

9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.44 P 19.07

-27.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.86 P 11.44

51.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.75 P 23.12

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.36 P 31.27

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.67 P 102

-42.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.98 P 66.0

18.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$5.52 P 73.0

56.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.75 P 23.15

30.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.45 P 19.17

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.85 P 24.43

-17.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.56 P 20.68

-13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.42 P 18.75

-20.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.26 P 16.66

-10.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.17 P 15.50

-27.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.86 P 11.34

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.50 P 46.31

-33.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.30 P 56.9

187.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.61 P 21.29

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.16 P 28.66

15.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.61 P 8.11

132.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$2.70 P 35.70

-28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.96 P 39.25

158.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.14 P 15.09

-13.16%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$22.3K P 295.3K

-19.16%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$16.5K P 218.9K

61.03%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$69.3 P 917

16.66%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$26.32 P 349

-62.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$80.0 P 1,060

-69.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.85 P 90.7

-41.90%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$187 P 2,473

63.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,842 P 50.9K

57.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$43.09 P 570

34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$24.44 P 324

31.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$73.4 P 972

37.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$99.5 P 1,317

8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.12

47.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bonwapitse: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Bonwapitse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $179 – making Bonwapitse the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bonwapitse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 68% more than Bonwapitse, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $919 in Bonwapitse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Bonwapitse. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bonwapitse, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Bonwapitse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bonwapitse costs $613 versus $1,031 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bonwapitse. 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.