Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bunia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bunia: $400 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bunia

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bunia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bunia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $400 in Bunia.

Medellin $1,639
Bunia $400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $652 in Bunia.

Medellin $2,413
Bunia $652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $904 in Bunia.

Medellin $3,186
Bunia $904

Living in Medellin is roughly 310% more expensive than in Bunia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Bunia is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.99 CDF 2,233

52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.99 CDF 4,499

19.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.96 CDF 4,428

-9.69%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$3.59 CDF 8,116

-19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$3.09 CDF 6,980

229.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$5.07 CDF 11.5K

94.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$4.92 CDF 11.1K

184.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$5.13 CDF 11.6K

-22.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.53 CDF 3,457

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$2.44 CDF 5,507

-10.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.95 CDF 4,420

11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$2.96 CDF 6,690

-33.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$3.07 CDF 6,937

-48.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$3.92 CDF 8,859

-70.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.82 CDF 1,858

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$6.17 CDF 13.9K

-35.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$3.07 CDF 6,947

-45.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$4.98 CDF 11.3K

-54.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$14.88 CDF 33.7K

-91.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$5.02 CDF 11.4K

-59.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$14.74 CDF 33.3K

-41.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$2.02 CDF 4,562

-33.17%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$14.90 CDF 33.7K

-9.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$10.07 CDF 22.8K

333.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$15.28 CDF 34.5K

12.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$12.86 CDF 29.1K

-46.27%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$3,477 CDF 7.9M

162.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$30.31 CDF 68.5K

179.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$44.70 CDF 101.1K

29.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$55.2 CDF 124.7K

144.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$65.4 CDF 147.8K

49.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bunia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bunia

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bunia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bunia

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bunia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bunia

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bunia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bunia

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇩 Bunia

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

366,126

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,262 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD). 1 EUR = 2,518 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Bunia 11,740 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bunia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bunia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $400 in Bunia, so Bunia is about 76% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $600 in Bunia 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 34% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $400 in Bunia – Bunia is about 76% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $400 in Bunia versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bunia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bunia 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.