Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cochabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cochabamba: $463 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Cochabamba
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Cochabamba Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cochabamba

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cochabamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $463 in Cochabamba.

Medellin $1,639
Cochabamba $463

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $722 in Cochabamba.

Medellin $2,413
Cochabamba $722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $981 in Cochabamba.

Medellin $3,186
Cochabamba $981

Living in Medellin is roughly 254% more expensive than in Cochabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Cochabamba is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.72 BOB 20.76

370.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$10.28 BOB 124

357.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.97 BOB 60.0

91.15%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.48 BOB 17.90

103.38%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.41 BOB 4.98

339.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.37 BOB 4.49

281.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.03 BOB 12.45

208.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.72 BOB 20.76

234.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.62 BOB 7.46

143.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.75 BOB 9.06

217.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.08 BOB 12.98

63.89%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.08 BOB 13.01

167.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$2.85 BOB 34.39

257.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$2.24 BOB 27.08

340.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$4.26 BOB 51.5

228.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.48 BOB 17.86

168.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.70 BOB 8.50

121.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.09 BOB 13.13

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.93 BOB 11.26

134.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.83 BOB 9.97

136.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.69 BOB 8.32

130.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.65 BOB 7.80

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.65 BOB 7.84

90.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.49 BOB 18.01

165.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$4.92 BOB 59.3

178.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.16 BOB 14.03

43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.94 BOB 23.43

16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.26 BOB 3.17

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$15.04 BOB 182

414.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.49 BOB 18.04

-14.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.88 BOB 10.59

132.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.17 BOB 50.4

105.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.45 BOB 5.42

200.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$17.2K BOB 207.5K

98.19%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$32.41 BOB 391

423.45%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$17.01 BOB 205

-20.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$23.44 BOB 283

19.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$22.01 BOB 266

98.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$4.16 BOB 50.2

313.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.03 BOB 36.60

128.05%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$108 BOB 1,298

640.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,407 BOB 41.1K

167.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$40.74 BOB 492

107.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$20.86 BOB 252

177.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$38.44 BOB 464

251.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$54.3 BOB 656

80.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$160 BOB 1,927

656.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$103 BOB 1,243

523.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$306 BOB 3,691

563.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$224 BOB 2,705

351.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$850 BOB 10.3K

390.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$674 BOB 8,136

183.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$393 BOB 4,741

67.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.17

33.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cochabamba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cochabamba

$103 22.3% 84% $539

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cochabamba

$109 23.6% 63.2% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cochabamba

$73 15.7% 65.5% $138

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cochabamba

$58 12.6% 65.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cochabamba

$69 15% 58.9% $100

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cochabamba

$22 4.8% 76.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cochabamba

$28 6.1% 51.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $160 in Cochabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 67% 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 $10 in Cochabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $109 per month, with Cochabamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇴 Cochabamba

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

856,198

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 BOB = 8.29 USD

100 BOB = 7.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 12.07 BOB (100 BOB = 8.29 USD). 1 EUR = 13.48 BOB (100 BOB = 7.42 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Cochabamba 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Cochabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $463 in Cochabamba, so Cochabamba is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $160 in Cochabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 172% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cochabamba – a meal for two runs $10 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $463 in Cochabamba versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cochabamba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cochabamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cochabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.