Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cochabamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cochabamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $784 in Cochabamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,185 in Cochabamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,587 in Cochabamba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 29% more expensive than Cochabamba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cochabamba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.84 BOB 19.49

110.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$17.43 BOB 120

88.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.46 BOB 51.2

-4.96%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.62 BOB 17.98

-34.73%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.66 BOB 4.54

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.61 BOB 4.16

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.72 BOB 11.78

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.23 BOB 22.13

-4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.08 BOB 7.43

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.46 BOB 9.98

-13.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.52 BOB 10.42

-9.21%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.75 BOB 11.99

25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.06 BOB 34.71

-13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.44 BOB 23.61

63.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.16 BOB 49.13

24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.60 BOB 17.84

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.05 BOB 7.19

0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.89 BOB 12.96

-20.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.61 BOB 11.07

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.77 BOB 12.12

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.94 BOB 6.42

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.20 BOB 8.20

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.00 BOB 6.84

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.55 BOB 17.49

-10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.50 BOB 58.3

25.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.29 BOB 15.69

-47.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.64 BOB 24.98

-32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.28 BOB 1.91

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.47 BOB 10.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.43 BOB 9.78

37.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$7.24 BOB 49.65

6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.55 BOB 3.75

72.73%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$22.3K BOB 153.3K

-18.87%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$18.5K BOB 126.9K

43.20%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$45.53 BOB 312

80.65%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$22.69 BOB 156

-58.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$48.62 BOB 334

-50.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$46.69 BOB 320

-44.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$16.38 BOB 112

16.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.97 BOB 34.07

-20.93%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$256 BOB 1,759

20.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,426 BOB 30.4K

34.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$40.69 BOB 279

44.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$46.73 BOB 321

-30.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$73.0 BOB 500

40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$92.4 BOB 634

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$300 BOB 2,055

58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$195 BOB 1,334

94.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$493 BOB 3,379

70.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$369 BOB 2,533

96.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,199 BOB 8,222

132.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$917 BOB 6,291

32.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$558 BOB 3,828

-8.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.5

79.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cochabamba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $300 in Cochabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochabamba pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Cochabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $187 per month, with Cochabamba 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 Cochabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Cochabamba differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $784 including rent). Cochabamba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cochabamba earns 9% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $300 in Cochabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $784 in Cochabamba – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $784 in Cochabamba versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 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 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.