Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Budaiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Budaiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $671 in Budaiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,116 in Budaiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,561 in Budaiya.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than Budaiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Budaiya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.39 BHD 2.03

9.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$54.1 BHD 20.34

-39.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.39 BHD 2.78

-2.57%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$4.95 BHD 1.86

-65.66%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.77 BHD 0.29

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.28 BHD 0.11

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$8.04 BHD 3.02

-79.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$10.53 BHD 3.96

-70.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.72 BHD 0.65

-38.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.28 BHD 0.48

-2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.15 BHD 0.43

20.87%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.61 BHD 0.61

40.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$2.62 BHD 0.99

65.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.54 BHD 2.84

-22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$3.88 BHD 1.46

127.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.33 BHD 0.88

-3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.01 BHD 0.76

-46.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.75 BHD 0.66

-12.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.04 BHD 0.39

31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.82 BHD 0.31

37.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.08 BHD 0.41

3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.31 BHD 0.49

-35.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.55 BHD 0.21

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$5.92 BHD 2.22

-60.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$13.11 BHD 4.93

-15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.67 BHD 0.63

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.74 BHD 0.65

36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.59 BHD 0.98

-44.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.67 BHD 1.00

-28.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$27.01 BHD 10.16

-70.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.39 BHD 0.15

141.03%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$37.2K BHD 14.0K

-51.80%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$20.8K BHD 7,810

28.97%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$90.8 BHD 34.12

-7.48%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$27.04 BHD 10.17

-64.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$26.69 BHD 10.04

-9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.79 BHD 2.93

-49.68%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$390 BHD 146

-21.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$8,774 BHD 3,299

-32.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$46.33 BHD 17.42

24.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$61.6 BHD 23.16

-48.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$84.0 BHD 31.60

18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$86.9 BHD 32.68

23.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.56

56.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Budaiya: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $54.0 in Budaiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $189, with Budaiya cheaper for home cooking.

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 Budaiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaiya wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budaiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,007 in Budaiya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $671 in Budaiya – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $671 in Budaiya versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Budaiya but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Budaiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budaiya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $671 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budaiya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Budaiya 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 Budaiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.