Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cimahi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cimahi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $597 in Cimahi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $961 in Cimahi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,326 in Cimahi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 181% more expensive than in Cimahi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cimahi is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.66 Rp 29.4K

383.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$14.29 Rp 253.0K

234.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$3.49 Rp 61.8K

183.38%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.58 Rp 27.9K

98.10%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.46 Rp 8,163

315.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.23 Rp 4,052

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.76 Rp 48.8K

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.07 Rp 54.3K

87.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

141.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.83 Rp 14.7K

113.25%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.50 Rp 26.5K

97.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.33 Rp 129.8K

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.88 Rp 51.1K

251.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.80 Rp 138.2K

83.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

85.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.55 Rp 27.4K

45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.98 Rp 17.4K

129.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.08 Rp 19.1K

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.43 Rp 7,642

204.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.77 Rp 49.0K

40.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$21.11 Rp 373.8K

-33.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.88 Rp 33.2K

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.09 Rp 54.7K

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.29 Rp 5,093

320.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.52 Rp 9,288

151.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.35 Rp 6,217

525.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.37 Rp 41.9K

267.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.84 Rp 14.9K

63.10%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.3K Rp 377.1M

30.71%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$29.1K Rp 516.1M

22.74%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$34.20 Rp 605.5K

418.42%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.42 Rp 78.3K

214.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$19.15 Rp 339.0K

55.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$20.00 Rp 354.1K

124.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$8.37 Rp 148.3K

104.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.76 Rp 48.8K

140.94%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$95.9 Rp 1.7M

747.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,308 Rp 147.1M

10.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$40.42 Rp 715.7K

121.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$29.43 Rp 521.2K

100.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

85.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$70.8 Rp 1.3M

44.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$218 Rp 3.9M

386.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$138 Rp 2.4M

380.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$632 Rp 11.2M

198.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$321 Rp 5.7M

220.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,138 Rp 20.2M

267.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$739 Rp 13.1M

126.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$258 Rp 4.6M

162.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.46

15.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cimahi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $218 in Cimahi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 163% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Cimahi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $193 per month, with Cimahi 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 Cimahi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimahi wins on cost – living expenses run 181% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimahi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $218 in Cimahi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% 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 $597 in Cimahi – a 181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $597 in Cimahi versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimahi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cimahi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimahi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $597 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimahi hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cimahi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.