Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bridgetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bridgetown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,655 in Bridgetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,966 in Bridgetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $4,278 in Bridgetown.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 39% less than in Bridgetown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Bridgetown is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$20.21 BBD 40.42

-70.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$95.5 BBD 191

-65.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$9.00 BBD 18.01

-19.67%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$4.91 BBD 9.83

-66.80%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.54 BBD 3.08

-29.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$1.28 BBD 2.55

-42.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.44 BBD 4.87

-28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$6.15 BBD 12.30

-47.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$3.83 BBD 7.67

-72.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.74 BBD 5.48

-52.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$3.40 BBD 6.79

-61.18%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$5.60 BBD 11.21

-59.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.56 BBD 19.13

-54.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$9.07 BBD 18.13

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.02 BBD 20.04

-14.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.98 BBD 7.96

-43.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.65 BBD 5.29

-59.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$4.81 BBD 9.62

-68.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.11 BBD 6.22

-54.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.75 BBD 5.51

-57.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.46 BBD 4.91

-52.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$2.82 BBD 5.64

-68.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$2.15 BBD 4.30

-58.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$8.07 BBD 16.14

-72.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$13.58 BBD 27.17

-18.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.61 BBD 3.23

-29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.97 BBD 5.94

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.78 BBD 3.56

-52.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$26.33 BBD 52.7

59.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$17.17 BBD 34.34

-91.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.02 BBD 2.05

86.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$40.46 BBD 80.9

-80.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$2.06 BBD 4.11

-50.97%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$34.7K BBD 69.4K

-49.35%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$37.2K BBD 74.4K

-28.77%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$86.8 BBD 174

-3.63%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$58.4 BBD 117

-83.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$49.56 BBD 99.1

-51.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$70.2 BBD 140

-63.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$10.43 BBD 20.86

-60.69%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$246 BBD 493

26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,508 BBD 13.0K

-7.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$61.2 BBD 122

-5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$63.9 BBD 128

-49.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$182 BBD 364

-45.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$126 BBD 251

-13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$588 BBD 1,177

-18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$477 BBD 955

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,809 BBD 3,617

-53.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$1,327 BBD 2,654

-45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$3,504 BBD 7,008

-18.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$3,442 BBD 6,885

-64.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$1,574 BBD 3,148

-65.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.85

129.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bridgetown: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $588 in Bridgetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 191% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $95.0 in Bridgetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $368 per month, with Medellin 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 Bridgetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Bridgetown. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bridgetown earns 191% 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 $588 in Bridgetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $246 in Bridgetown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,655 in Bridgetown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bridgetown. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bridgetown are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.