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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $836 in Budaiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,319 in Budaiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,803 in Budaiya.

Living in Medellin is roughly 101% more expensive than in Budaiya, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Budaiya is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.50 BHD 2.45

23.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$53.1 BHD 20.00

-9.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.71 BHD 2.53

47.39%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$4.91 BHD 1.85

-36.25%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.89 BHD 0.33

114.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.28 BHD 0.11

439.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$6.65 BHD 2.51

-53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$9.98 BHD 3.76

-42.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.46 BHD 0.55

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.05 BHD 0.39

137.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.25 BHD 0.85

-21.33%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.29 BHD 0.86

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.90 BHD 3.36

13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.48 BHD 2.44

56.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.47 BHD 3.19

68.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.31 BHD 0.87

79.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.90 BHD 0.71

18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.38 BHD 0.52

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.06 BHD 0.40

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.37 BHD 0.52

12.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.58 BHD 0.59

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.78 BHD 0.30

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.16 BHD 1.95

-24.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$18.69 BHD 7.05

-25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.71 BHD 1.02

5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.24 BHD 1.97

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.38 BHD 1.27

-35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$16.10 BHD 6.07

-45.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.64 BHD 0.24

114.06%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$36.7K BHD 13.8K

-24.18%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$20.7K BHD 7,797

72.91%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$151 BHD 56.8

17.58%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$24.91 BHD 9.39

-44.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$35.67 BHD 13.44

-16.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.43 BHD 3.93

-36.24%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$481 BHD 181

69.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$11.2K BHD 4,214

-17.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$50.2 BHD 18.91

78.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$57.7 BHD 21.75

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$89.4 BHD 33.68

54.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$91.2 BHD 34.36

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.21

76.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Budaiya: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Budaiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $250, 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 101% 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 $2,521 in Medellin and $1,254 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 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $836 in Budaiya – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $836 in Budaiya versus $1,681 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 $836 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 101% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.