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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $704 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,125 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,546 in Bortala.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than Bortala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bortala 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.73 ¥18.44

117.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$20.68 ¥140

61.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.77 ¥32.24

51.57%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.93 ¥19.81

-44.37%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.43 ¥2.90

153.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 ¥1.99

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.89 ¥6.04

95.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.05 ¥13.85

57.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.78 ¥12.07

-41.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.60 ¥10.85

-19.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.89 ¥6.03

48.31%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.59 ¥10.73

42.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$12.81 ¥86.7

-66.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.14 ¥21.20

87.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.06 ¥68.0

-14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.80 ¥12.18

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.26 ¥8.52

-15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.41 ¥9.52

7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.13 ¥7.65

25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.69 ¥4.64

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.91 ¥6.14

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.56 ¥3.79

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.52 ¥3.49

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.07 ¥20.73

-26.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$9.86 ¥66.7

11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.80 ¥5.40

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.60 ¥10.80

48.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.27 ¥1.81

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$16.58 ¥112

153.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.38 ¥9.33

2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.33 ¥2.23

475.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.65 ¥44.99

16.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.17 ¥7.89

-13.68%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.5K ¥131.6K

-9.66%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

60.38%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$46.69 ¥316

79.22%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$9.90 ¥67.0

-4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$11.40 ¥77.1

111.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$42.09 ¥285

-39.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.86 ¥93.7

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.39 ¥43.19

-35.84%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$340 ¥2,300

-8.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$17.0K ¥114.9K

-64.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$42.78 ¥289

35.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.75 ¥208

5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$72.3 ¥489

37.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$73.6 ¥497

47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$277 ¥1,874

74.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$188 ¥1,271

101.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$596 ¥4,028

40.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$359 ¥2,425

101.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,970 ¥20.1K

-4.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,619 ¥10.9K

-24.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$620 ¥4,192

-12.74%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bortala: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $277 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bortala pays 15% 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 $190 vs $195, 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 44% 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, Bortala earns 15% less. 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: $482 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 $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $704 in Bortala – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 153% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $704 in Bortala versus $1,017 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 $704 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 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.