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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $703 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,132 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,560 in Bortala.

Living in Medellin is roughly 43% more expensive than in Bortala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Bortala 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.4K

$2.87 ¥19.34

105.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 102.7K

$20.79 ¥140

58.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.1K

$5.01 ¥33.78

48.30%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,153

$3.09 ¥20.86

-46.60%

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

$1.10 COP 3,432

$0.44 ¥2.95

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,433

$0.27 ¥1.79

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,356

$0.87 ¥5.85

97.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 9,904

$2.06 ¥13.86

54.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,439

$1.77 ¥11.95

-37.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,921

$1.61 ¥10.88

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,304

$0.89 ¥5.97

55.06%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,788

$1.65 ¥11.11

32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.0K

$13.04 ¥87.9

-65.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.0K

$3.06 ¥20.63

89.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 27.9K

$10.14 ¥68.4

-11.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,232

$1.73 ¥11.67

34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,318

$1.20 ¥8.10

-11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,725

$1.40 ¥9.47

8.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,226

$1.09 ¥7.33

24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,515

$0.67 ¥4.52

68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.98 ¥6.59

19.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,809

$0.60 ¥4.06

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,794

$0.51 ¥3.44

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 6,961

$3.12 ¥21.02

-28.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 37.8K

$12.63 ¥85.2

-4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,704

$0.76 ¥5.10

56.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,735

$1.59 ¥10.71

55.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,660

$0.29 ¥1.97

193.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 129.7K

$16.49 ¥111

152.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,413

$1.43 ¥9.61

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,078

$0.35 ¥2.38

457.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.6K

$6.70 ¥45.17

17.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,086

$1.16 ¥7.84

-14.66%

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

$17.6K COP 54.8M

$19.3K ¥130.1K

-8.79%

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

$26.8K COP 83.5M

$17.0K ¥114.6K

57.59%

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

$83.0 COP 258.7K

$45.05 ¥304

84.26%

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

$9.70 COP 30.2K

$10.05 ¥67.8

-3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 73.3K

$11.78 ¥79.4

99.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 78.7K

$41.18 ¥278

-38.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 59.5K

$14.15 ¥95.4

34.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.3K

$6.25 ¥42.13

-36.80%

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

$316 COP 984.0K

$343 ¥2,311

-7.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.6M

$17.2K ¥115.7K

-65.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 187.0K

$43.10 ¥291

39.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 99.1K

$29.91 ¥202

6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 316.8K

$71.8 ¥484

41.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 334.8K

$75.1 ¥506

43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$277 ¥1,870

71.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$190 ¥1,283

96.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.6M

$599 ¥4,041

41.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.2M

$366 ¥2,468

96.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.2M

$3,161 ¥21.3K

3.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,671 ¥11.3K

-13.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 1.9M

$632 ¥4,258

-1.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.87

247.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bortala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $277 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bortala pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Bortala. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $201, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 43% 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.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Bortala. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Medellin versus $277 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $703 in Bortala – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 152% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $703 in Bortala versus $1,003 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 $703 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 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.