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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,668 in Bridgetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $2,891 in Bridgetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $4,115 in Bridgetown.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 40% less than in Bridgetown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Bridgetown is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$19.90 BBD 39.79

-70.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$92.5 BBD 185

-64.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$9.00 BBD 17.99

-17.44%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$4.80 BBD 9.60

-65.63%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.53 BBD 3.06

-28.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$1.28 BBD 2.56

-39.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.54 BBD 5.09

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.84 BBD 11.68

-45.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$3.81 BBD 7.62

-71.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$2.75 BBD 5.50

-54.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$3.28 BBD 6.57

-57.93%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$5.56 BBD 11.13

-60.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$9.29 BBD 18.58

-51.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$8.74 BBD 17.47

-33.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$9.88 BBD 19.77

-9.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$4.10 BBD 8.19

-43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$2.54 BBD 5.09

-58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$4.62 BBD 9.24

-67.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$3.12 BBD 6.23

-56.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$2.87 BBD 5.74

-60.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.44 BBD 4.89

-52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$2.87 BBD 5.74

-68.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$2.08 BBD 4.17

-56.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$8.21 BBD 16.41

-72.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$13.63 BBD 27.26

-11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.66 BBD 3.32

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.92 BBD 5.83

-15.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$1.79 BBD 3.58

-52.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$25.56 BBD 51.1

62.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$17.38 BBD 34.75

-91.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.99 BBD 1.97

96.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$40.18 BBD 80.4

-80.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$2.03 BBD 4.06

-51.23%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$34.5K BBD 68.9K

-48.91%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$37.3K BBD 74.6K

-28.15%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$85.8 BBD 172

-3.27%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$58.1 BBD 116

-83.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$49.93 BBD 99.9

-52.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$72.2 BBD 144

-64.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$10.42 BBD 20.85

-62.09%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$240 BBD 479

31.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$6,494 BBD 13.0K

-8.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$60.3 BBD 121

-0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$64.0 BBD 128

-50.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$182 BBD 363

-44.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$124 BBD 247

-13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$599 BBD 1,198

-20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$485 BBD 970

-22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,782 BBD 3,565

-52.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$1,337 BBD 2,675

-46.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$3,536 BBD 7,072

-7.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$3,559 BBD 7,117

-59.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$1,587 BBD 3,174

-60.66%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bridgetown: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $599 in Bridgetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 154% 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 $92.0 in Bridgetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $363 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 66% 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, salaries run 154% lower in Bridgetown. 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 $599 in Bridgetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $240 in Bridgetown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,668 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 $1,003 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 66% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.