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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $730 in Cam Ranh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,200 in Cam Ranh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,669 in Cam Ranh.

Living in Medellin is roughly 125% more expensive than in Cam Ranh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Cam Ranh is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.62 ₫68.0K

206.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$22.76 ₫590.0K

112.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.59 ₫119.0K

105.23%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$1.69 ₫43.9K

73.96%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.39 ₫10.2K

376.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.21 ₫5,425

595.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$0.62 ₫16.1K

417.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

353.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.42 ₫36.9K

1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$0.47 ₫12.3K

410.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.02 ₫26.5K

66.67%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.37 ₫35.6K

110.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$11.87 ₫307.6K

-15.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.07 ₫79.5K

224.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.33 ₫293.6K

25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.90 ₫49.3K

109.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$0.85 ₫21.9K

85.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.11 ₫28.7K

93.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.19 ₫30.8K

93.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$0.78 ₫20.3K

156.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$0.71 ₫18.3K

112.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.74 ₫19.2K

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.39 ₫10.0K

228.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.50 ₫38.9K

156.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.46 ₫297.1K

22.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$0.57 ₫14.9K

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$1.79 ₫46.5K

53.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.36 ₫9,406

247.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$6.06 ₫157.1K

1185.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$0.57 ₫14.7K

129.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.59 ₫15.4K

267.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.35 ₫60.8K

252.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$0.83 ₫21.4K

63.86%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$30.9K ₫801.0M

-11.09%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$27.3K ₫708.2M

33.73%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$77.1 ₫2.0M

118.83%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$6.50 ₫168.5K

108.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$9.22 ₫239.0K

207.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$23.41 ₫606.8K

95.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$7.06 ₫183.0K

143.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$1.89 ₫49.1K

251.85%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$214 ₫5.5M

275.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,907 ₫101.3M

135.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$42.16 ₫1.1M

107.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$23.18 ₫600.8K

156.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$49.12 ₫1.3M

182.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$93.6 ₫2.4M

9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$438 ₫11.3M

144.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$236 ₫6.1M

176.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$652 ₫16.9M

195.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$561 ₫14.5M

86.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,693 ₫69.8M

53.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,313 ₫34.0M

29.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.55

27.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cam Ranh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $438 in Cam Ranh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Cam Ranh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $179 per month, with Cam Ranh 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 Cam Ranh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Ranh wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Ranh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,096 in Cam Ranh 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $438 in Cam Ranh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $730 in Cam Ranh – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Ranh runs roughly 1185% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $730 in Cam Ranh versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Ranh but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cam Ranh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Ranh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $730 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Ranh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cam Ranh 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 Ranh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.