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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $629 in Cimahi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $960 in Cimahi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,291 in Cimahi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than Cimahi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cimahi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

368.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$9.19 Rp 164.7K

262.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.39 Rp 60.8K

113.27%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

5.16%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.49 Rp 8,739

122.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.25 Rp 4,436

192.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

-11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

17.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

51.72%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

41.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.62 Rp 118.7K

-34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

96.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.52 Rp 134.7K

14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.39 Rp 42.9K

-5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

-8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.62 Rp 46.9K

-55.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.95 Rp 17.0K

-6.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.43 Rp 7,629

109.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

-10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$21.32 Rp 382.0K

-48.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.02 Rp 36.1K

-43.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

-25.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.32 Rp 5,802

162.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$10.10 Rp 181.0K

315.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.54 Rp 9,601

161.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.37 Rp 6,703

413.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.55 Rp 45.6K

203.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

32.89%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$24.2K Rp 433.6M

-27.36%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$25.8K Rp 461.5M

2.86%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$44.30 Rp 793.8K

88.89%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$4.55 Rp 81.5K

107.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$22.74 Rp 407.4K

6.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$23.21 Rp 415.8K

9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$6.26 Rp 112.2K

205.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$3.02 Rp 54.1K

35.76%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$93.4 Rp 1.7M

233.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,733 Rp 138.5M

-22.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$42.42 Rp 759.9K

36.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$31.25 Rp 559.9K

4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

68.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$260 Rp 4.7M

85.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$155 Rp 2.8M

145.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$582 Rp 10.4M

43.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$338 Rp 6.1M

113.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$250 Rp 4.5M

116.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.15

46.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cimahi: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $260 in Cimahi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 116% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $9.00 in Cimahi. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $202, 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 Cimahi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimahi wins on cost – living expenses run 62% 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.

Medellin pays 116% more on average, 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: $482 in Medellin versus $260 in Cimahi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cimahi runs roughly 315% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $93.4 in Cimahi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $629 in Cimahi versus $1,017 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 $629 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 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.