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

😐 Solo nomad: Medellin is 23.9% more expensive than Bucaramanga without rent, and 29.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Medellin is 30.1% more expensive than Bucaramanga without rent, and 45% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.14 COP 22.2K
$3.13 COP 11.3K
96.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.05 COP 119.3K
$19.12 COP 69.0K
72.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.32 COP 26.4K
$6.86 COP 24.8K
6.71%
Cappuccino
$1.66 COP 5,987
$1.32 COP 4,748
25.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 COP 3,987
$0.76 COP 2,727
44.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 COP 2,822
$0.59 COP 2,131
32.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.71 COP 6,188
$1.41 COP 5,096
21.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 COP 11.5K
$2.12 COP 7,647
49.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 COP 4,012
$1.18 COP 4,263
-5.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 COP 4,719
$1.11 COP 4,025
18.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 COP 4,980
$1.21 COP 4,366
14.05%
Eggs
$2.22 COP 8,009
$2.26 COP 8,154
-1.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.34 COP 15.7K
$4.05 COP 14.6K
7.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.80 COP 20.9K
$5.74 COP 20.7K
1.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.98 COP 32.4K
$7.52 COP 27.1K
19.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 COP 8,164
$2.58 COP 9,318
-12.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 COP 4,023
$1.19 COP 4,293
-6.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 COP 5,284
$0.89 COP 3,210
64.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 COP 4,929
$0.86 COP 3,088
59.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 COP 4,009
$1.20 COP 4,342
-7.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 COP 4,199
$0.95 COP 3,424
22.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 COP 3,211
$0.91 COP 3,286
-2.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 COP 3,124
$0.74 COP 2,670
17.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.35 COP 8,495
$1.65 COP 5,966
42.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 COP 39.2K
$8.37 COP 30.2K
29.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 COP 4,330
$0.85 COP 3,064
41.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 COP 8,946
$1.50 COP 5,404
65.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 COP 2,842
$0.69 COP 2,507
14.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.77 COP 147.2K
$39.46 COP 142.5K
3.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.42 COP 5,137
$1.76 COP 6,342
-19.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 COP 6,900
$1.54 COP 5,574
24.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.65 COP 27.6K
$6.01 COP 21.7K
27.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 COP 3,490
$0.98 COP 3,532
-1.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.1K COP 65.3M
$19.2K COP 69.2M
-5.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K COP 95.0M
$27.6K COP 99.8M
-4.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.3 COP 293.5K
$74.4 COP 268.6K
9.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.63 COP 34.8K
$8.61 COP 31.1K
11.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.36 COP 88.0K
$20.49 COP 74.0K
18.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.02 COP 93.9K
$23.37 COP 84.3K
11.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.92 COP 68.3K
$15.44 COP 55.7K
22.54%
Cinema Ticket
$3.89 COP 14.0K
$3.90 COP 14.1K
-0.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$304 COP 1.1M
$241 COP 870.5K
26.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,902 COP 21.3M
$2,430 COP 8.8M
142.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.7 COP 211.8K
$65.2 COP 235.4K
-10.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.48 COP 117.2K
$32.34 COP 116.7K
0.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 COP 367.3K
$84.0 COP 303.2K
21.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 COP 390.4K
$38.15 COP 137.7K
183.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$474 COP 1.7M
$286 COP 1.0M
65.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$371 COP 1.3M
$235 COP 849.4K
57.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$848 COP 3.1M
$483 COP 1.7M
75.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$716 COP 2.6M
$370 COP 1.3M
93.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,871 COP 10.4M
$1,060 COP 3.8M
170.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,375 COP 5.0M
$1,424 COP 5.1M
-3.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bucaramanga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$542 COP 2.0M
$508 COP 1.8M
6.66%
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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: April 14, 2026

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

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