Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bortala Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bortala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $733 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,173 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,613 in Bortala.

Living in Medellin is roughly 129% more expensive than in Bortala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bortala is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$3.06 ¥20.48

162.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$22.45 ¥150

113.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$5.13 ¥34.37

92.79%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$2.68 ¥17.95

16.79%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$0.50 ¥3.33

282.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.30 ¥2.01

403.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$1.00 ¥6.72

212.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.04 ¥13.64

181.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.88 ¥12.60

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.67 ¥11.17

49.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$0.92 ¥6.18

92.39%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$1.58 ¥10.60

87.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$13.47 ¥90.3

-25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$3.49 ¥23.39

189.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$11.15 ¥74.7

28.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$1.82 ¥12.21

127.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$1.26 ¥8.44

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$1.52 ¥10.21

48.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$1.30 ¥8.73

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$0.71 ¥4.78

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$0.96 ¥6.45

60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$0.63 ¥4.23

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.55 ¥3.69

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$3.62 ¥24.28

7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$9.79 ¥65.6

43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$0.79 ¥5.29

120.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$1.62 ¥10.82

77.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$0.32 ¥2.12

281.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$18.32 ¥123

339.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$1.43 ¥9.57

-8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$0.35 ¥2.37

525.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$6.44 ¥43.12

35.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.23 ¥8.22

11.38%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$19.7K ¥132.0K

41.30%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$18.5K ¥124.1K

93.08%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$57.2 ¥383

210.13%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$8.38 ¥56.2

65.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$11.27 ¥75.5

163.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$40.54 ¥272

10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$14.57 ¥97.7

17.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$6.40 ¥42.90

3.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$452 ¥3,026

80.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$18.7K ¥125.0K

-50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$41.90 ¥281

113.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$29.12 ¥195

102.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$73.1 ¥489

89.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$80.9 ¥542

26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$264 ¥1,770

301.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$171 ¥1,149

286.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$575 ¥3,856

228.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$328 ¥2,197

213.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$3,413 ¥22.9K

22.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,747 ¥11.7K

-4.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$634 ¥4,246

6.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.38

223.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bortala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $264 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 7% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $206 per month, with Bortala 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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 129% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $264 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $733 in Bortala – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 339% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $733 in Bortala versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bortala but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bortala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bortala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bortala hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bortala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.