Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bucha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bucha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $713 in Bucha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,114 in Bucha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,514 in Bucha.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than Bucha, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bucha 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$8.65 ₴380

-31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$30.99 ₴1,362

7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.15 ₴271

17.89%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.00 ₴43.91

71.00%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.63 ₴27.63

73.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.39 ₴17.29

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$0.94 ₴41.51

86.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.46 ₴64.4

117.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.03 ₴45.14

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$0.74 ₴32.49

75.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.38 ₴60.7

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.50 ₴66.1

47.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$7.52 ₴331

-39.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.49 ₴197

29.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$7.90 ₴347

13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$0.85 ₴37.31

169.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.48 ₴65.0

-28.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.89 ₴83.3

-20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$2.21 ₴97.2

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.58 ₴25.63

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$0.60 ₴26.28

95.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.59 ₴69.7

-47.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.58 ₴25.52

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.57 ₴113

-8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$4.13 ₴182

168.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$0.85 ₴37.34

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$1.37 ₴60.0

80.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.35 ₴15.37

125.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$2.07 ₴90.9

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.35 ₴15.25

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$2.92 ₴128

163.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.33 ₴58.6

-22.56%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$31.2K ₴1.4M

-43.33%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$24.9K ₴1.1M

8.35%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$77.0 ₴3,386

5.70%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$5.68 ₴250

65.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$7.21 ₴317

229.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$24.87 ₴1,093

3.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$9.80 ₴431

97.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.41 ₴194

-8.16%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$285 ₴12.5K

9.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$7,667 ₴337.0K

-20.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$68.0 ₴2,989

-13.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$14.36 ₴631

128.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$76.7 ₴3,374

30.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$83.9 ₴3,689

26.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$338 ₴14.8K

44.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$205 ₴9,002

81.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$447 ₴19.6K

87.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$309 ₴13.6K

131.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,037 ₴45.6K

184.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$764 ₴33.6K

82.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$635 ₴27.9K

-16.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Bucha: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $338 in Bucha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucha pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $31 in Bucha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $161 per month, with Bucha 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 Bucha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bucha differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $713 including rent). Bucha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bucha earns 19% 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: $490 in Medellin versus $338 in Bucha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Medellin versus $713 in Bucha – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $713 in Bucha versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bucha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bucha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.