Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bucaramanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bucaramanga

😐 Solo nomad: Medellin is 23.7% more expensive than Bucaramanga without rent, and 34.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Medellin is 27.7% more expensive than Bucaramanga without rent, and 41.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.03 COP 22.7K
$3.07 COP 11.5K
96.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.17 COP 124.7K
$19.31 COP 72.6K
71.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.29 COP 27.4K
$6.63 COP 24.9K
9.95%
Cappuccino
$1.63 COP 6,128
$1.35 COP 5,069
20.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 COP 3,944
$0.72 COP 2,698
45.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 COP 2,896
$0.56 COP 2,088
37.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.73 COP 6,505
$1.40 COP 5,281
23.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 COP 12.0K
$2.03 COP 7,624
56.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 COP 4,013
$1.23 COP 4,613
-13.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 COP 4,931
$1.11 COP 4,162
18.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 COP 5,191
$1.25 COP 4,685
10.40%
Eggs
$2.25 COP 8,451
$2.26 COP 8,486
-0.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.48 COP 16.9K
$4.22 COP 15.9K
6.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.74 COP 21.6K
$5.83 COP 21.9K
-1.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.86 COP 33.3K
$7.29 COP 27.4K
21.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 COP 8,432
$2.59 COP 9,725
-13.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 COP 3,985
$1.18 COP 4,426
-10.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 COP 5,693
$0.89 COP 3,353
69.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.36 COP 5,116
$0.91 COP 3,429
49.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 COP 4,215
$1.18 COP 4,451
-5.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 COP 4,397
$0.95 COP 3,572
23.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 COP 3,393
$0.92 COP 3,447
-2.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 COP 3,148
$0.79 COP 2,971
6.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26 COP 8,495
$1.74 COP 6,556
29.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.97 COP 37.5K
$7.71 COP 29.0K
29.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 COP 4,448
$0.78 COP 2,933
51.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 COP 8,987
$1.57 COP 5,886
52.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 COP 3,231
$0.69 COP 2,592
24.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.45 COP 155.9K
$38.35 COP 144.2K
8.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 COP 5,517
$1.76 COP 6,633
-16.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 COP 7,317
$1.54 COP 5,776
26.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.76 COP 29.2K
$5.93 COP 22.3K
30.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 COP 3,638
$1.01 COP 3,782
-3.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9K COP 67.5M
$19.3K COP 72.8M
-7.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K COP 100.5M
$28.1K COP 105.9M
-5.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.1 COP 305.0K
$74.4 COP 279.9K
8.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.40 COP 35.4K
$8.96 COP 33.7K
4.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.61 COP 88.8K
$20.58 COP 77.4K
14.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.55 COP 96.1K
$23.37 COP 87.9K
9.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.29 COP 72.5K
$15.97 COP 60.1K
20.79%
Cinema Ticket
$4.10 COP 15.4K
$3.79 COP 14.3K
8.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$306 COP 1.2M
$236 COP 886.9K
29.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,899 COP 22.2M
$2,405 COP 9.0M
145.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 COP 224.9K
$63.9 COP 240.3K
-6.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.96 COP 120.2K
$32.17 COP 121.0K
-0.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 COP 386.2K
$84.7 COP 318.4K
21.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 COP 405.6K
$38.67 COP 145.4K
178.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$483 COP 1.8M
$291 COP 1.1M
66.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$377 COP 1.4M
$235 COP 883.4K
60.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$822 COP 3.1M
$481 COP 1.8M
70.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$721 COP 2.7M
$378 COP 1.4M
90.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 COP 10.5M
$1,263 COP 4.7M
120.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,320 COP 5.0M
$1,369 COP 5.1M
-3.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$538 COP 2.0M
$479 COP 1.8M
12.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.43
15.25
-11.93%

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

Last update for Medellin: March 3, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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