Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cam Pha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cam Pha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $741 in Cam Pha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,145 in Cam Pha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,549 in Cam Pha.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than Cam Pha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cam Pha 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.87 ₫49.2K

216.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.64 ₫698.9K

22.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.31 ₫113.0K

67.05%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.78 ₫46.8K

-4.49%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.45 ₫11.9K

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.27 ₫7,162

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$0.92 ₫24.0K

81.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.88 ₫49.3K

64.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.44 ₫37.7K

-26.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.91 ₫24.0K

37.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.91 ₫23.8K

52.75%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.56 ₫40.8K

44.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.91 ₫233.9K

-51.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.88 ₫101.8K

50.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.70 ₫254.6K

-8.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.37 ₫88.4K

-33.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.01 ₫26.5K

6.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.65 ₫43.4K

-7.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.12 ₫29.3K

22.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.04 ₫27.2K

8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.05 ₫27.7K

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.53 ₫13.9K

60.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.56 ₫14.7K

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.33 ₫34.9K

75.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$14.19 ₫372.3K

-21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.96 ₫25.2K

23.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.74 ₫45.6K

36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.32 ₫8,272

146.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$6.69 ₫175.6K

514.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.73 ₫19.2K

97.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.57 ₫15.0K

235.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$1.61 ₫42.2K

398.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.85 ₫22.2K

10.59%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$38.5K ₫1.0B

-53.47%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$32.3K ₫847.7M

-17.08%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$78.2 ₫2.1M

7.35%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$5.19 ₫136.2K

84.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$8.54 ₫224.0K

182.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$21.15 ₫554.9K

22.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$7.73 ₫202.9K

146.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$3.88 ₫101.8K

1.03%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$261 ₫6.8M

17.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$11.6K ₫304.4M

-48.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$44.87 ₫1.2M

29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$23.32 ₫611.9K

36.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$87.3 ₫2.3M

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$73.4 ₫1.9M

46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$355 ₫9.3M

37.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$252 ₫6.6M

45.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$670 ₫17.6M

23.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$460 ₫12.1M

55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,917 ₫76.5M

0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,298 ₫34.1M

8.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.1

47.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cam Pha: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $355 in Cam Pha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Cam Pha. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $194, with Medellin 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 Cam Pha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,111 in Cam Pha 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $355 in Cam Pha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 515% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $261 in Cam Pha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $741 in Cam Pha versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Pha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cam Pha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Pha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $741 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Pha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cam Pha 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 Cam Pha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.