Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cimahi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cimahi: $566 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Cimahi
Learn more

Cimahi Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cimahi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cimahi

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 Cimahi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $566 in Cimahi.

Medellin $1,639
Cimahi $566

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $949 in Cimahi.

Medellin $2,413
Cimahi $949

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,331 in Cimahi.

Medellin $3,186
Cimahi $1,331

Living in Medellin is roughly 190% more expensive than in Cimahi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Cimahi is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

375.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$13.70 Rp 248.4K

243.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

193.21%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.53 Rp 27.8K

96.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.43 Rp 7,785

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.24 Rp 4,374

487.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.50 Rp 45.3K

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.96 Rp 53.7K

94.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

105.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

97.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.92 Rp 125.5K

47.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$2.89 Rp 52.5K

241.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.01 Rp 145.2K

74.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.24 Rp 40.6K

77.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

129.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.94 Rp 35.3K

-18.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.63 Rp 11.5K

82.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.39 Rp 7,122

217.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

53.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$20.91 Rp 379.3K

-34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-24.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.25 Rp 4,524

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$10.88 Rp 197.3K

611.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.53 Rp 9,559

139.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.32 Rp 5,749

540.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

283.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

66.67%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$20.6K Rp 373.8M

65.31%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$31.5K Rp 570.6M

10.22%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$33.33 Rp 604.5K

409.00%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$4.32 Rp 78.4K

213.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$19.04 Rp 345.4K

47.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$17.99 Rp 326.3K

142.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$8.40 Rp 152.4K

104.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.69 Rp 48.7K

156.88%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$91.3 Rp 1.7M

772.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,947 Rp 144.1M

14.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$39.15 Rp 710.1K

116.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$28.39 Rp 514.9K

104.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

90.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$197 Rp 3.6M

512.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$127 Rp 2.3M

405.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$561 Rp 10.2M

261.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$380 Rp 6.9M

166.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,318 Rp 23.9M

216.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$866 Rp 15.7M

120.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$247 Rp 4.5M

165.91%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cimahi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cimahi

$127 22.4% 80.2% $515

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cimahi

$188 33.3% 36.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cimahi

$57 10% 73.2% $155

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cimahi

$63 11.1% 63% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cimahi

$94 16.6% 44.4% $75

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cimahi

$14 2.5% 85% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cimahi

$23 4.1% 59.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $197 in Cimahi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.7 times 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: $47 in Medellin vs $14 in Cimahi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $188 per month, with Cimahi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Cimahi

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

16:00 4:00 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

561,386

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Cimahi 19,660 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cimahi

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 Cimahi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimahi wins on cost – living expenses run 65% 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 in Medellin is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $197 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 86% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $91 in Cimahi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $566 in Cimahi versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 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 at $566 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 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.