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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,675 in Bridgetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,963 in Bridgetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $4,251 in Bridgetown.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 38% less than in Bridgetown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Bridgetown is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$19.86 BBD 39.72

-70.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$92.7 BBD 185

-64.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$9.45 BBD 18.90

-23.81%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$4.98 BBD 9.96

-65.86%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.51 BBD 3.03

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$1.27 BBD 2.55

-43.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.45 BBD 4.89

-31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$6.07 BBD 12.14

-48.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$3.99 BBD 7.99

-73.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$2.73 BBD 5.45

-54.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$3.40 BBD 6.80

-59.12%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$5.57 BBD 11.14

-59.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$9.74 BBD 19.49

-55.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$8.81 BBD 17.63

-33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.03 BBD 20.07

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.98 BBD 7.96

-43.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.68 BBD 5.36

-59.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$4.68 BBD 9.36

-67.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$3.00 BBD 6.00

-54.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.89 BBD 5.78

-60.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.38 BBD 4.76

-52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$2.77 BBD 5.55

-69.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$2.15 BBD 4.31

-57.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$8.06 BBD 16.12

-71.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$13.99 BBD 27.99

-20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.69 BBD 3.38

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.91 BBD 5.82

-18.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.72 BBD 3.45

-54.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$26.30 BBD 52.6

56.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$17.59 BBD 35.19

-91.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.99 BBD 1.97

92.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$40.52 BBD 81.1

-80.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$2.13 BBD 4.26

-55.87%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$34.8K BBD 69.7K

-48.55%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$37.2K BBD 74.4K

-28.02%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$87.4 BBD 175

-3.95%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$57.2 BBD 114

-83.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$48.99 BBD 98.0

-50.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$69.7 BBD 139

-62.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$10.22 BBD 20.43

-61.64%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$239 BBD 478

28.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,589 BBD 13.2K

-10.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$60.2 BBD 120

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$63.8 BBD 128

-50.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$187 BBD 373

-46.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$126 BBD 251

-14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$583 BBD 1,166

-16.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$472 BBD 945

-22.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,785 BBD 3,569

-53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,334 BBD 2,669

-46.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$3,468 BBD 6,936

-15.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$3,551 BBD 7,103

-60.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,556 BBD 3,112

-64.94%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bridgetown: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $583 in Bridgetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 185% 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 $93.0 in Bridgetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $369 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 62% 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 185% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $583 in Bridgetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $239 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 $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,675 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 $1,034 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 62% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.