Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dien Bien Phu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu: $770 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Dien Bien Phu
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Dien Bien Phu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Dien Bien Phu

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dien Bien Phu

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 Dien Bien Phu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $770 in Dien Bien Phu.

Medellin $1,614
Dien Bien Phu $770

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,231 in Dien Bien Phu.

Medellin $2,402
Dien Bien Phu $1,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,692 in Dien Bien Phu.

Medellin $3,190
Dien Bien Phu $1,692

Living in Medellin is roughly 110% more expensive than in Dien Bien Phu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Dien Bien Phu is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.03 ₫52.6K

290.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$19.34 ₫500.7K

138.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.39 ₫113.6K

116.40%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.64 ₫42.5K

89.63%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.51 ₫13.1K

258.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.33 ₫8,660

318.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$0.88 ₫22.7K

246.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$1.43 ₫37.0K

284.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.49 ₫38.5K

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.05 ₫27.2K

124.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.94 ₫24.3K

78.72%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.51 ₫39.0K

89.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.24 ₫291.0K

-9.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.73 ₫96.6K

155.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$9.86 ₫255.2K

42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.06 ₫79.3K

33.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.12 ₫29.0K

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.33 ₫34.5K

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.27 ₫32.9K

81.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.07 ₫27.7K

80.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.15 ₫29.7K

42.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.65 ₫16.8K

73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.50 ₫13.1K

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$1.36 ₫35.2K

193.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.16 ₫314.8K

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.88 ₫22.9K

93.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.64 ₫42.5K

44.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.31 ₫8,151

290.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$6.45 ₫167.1K

1085.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.73 ₫18.8K

80.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.61 ₫15.7K

250.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$2.39 ₫62.0K

254.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.95 ₫24.7K

36.84%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$30.4K ₫786.3M

-7.84%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$30.4K ₫786.0M

16.65%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$77.2 ₫2.0M

122.94%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$5.79 ₫149.9K

130.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$8.56 ₫221.6K

235.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$21.91 ₫567.2K

106.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$7.83 ₫202.6K

117.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$3.06 ₫79.3K

105.23%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$159 ₫4.1M

383.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.4K ₫320.6M

-27.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$45.80 ₫1.2M

88.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$25.91 ₫670.9K

120.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$83.3 ₫2.2M

63.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$79.7 ₫2.1M

22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$413 ₫10.7M

155.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$276 ₫7.2M

122.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$737 ₫19.1M

156.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$607 ₫15.7M

68.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,783 ₫72.0M

45.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,324 ₫34.3M

26.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.46

29.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dien Bien Phu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Dien Bien Phu

$276 35.9% 55.2% $340

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Dien Bien Phu

$197 25.6% 33.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Dien Bien Phu

$92 11.9% 57.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Dien Bien Phu

$106 13.7% 37.9% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Dien Bien Phu

$60 7.8% 64.5% $109

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Dien Bien Phu

$11 1.5% 87.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Dien Bien Phu

$28 3.6% 51.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $413 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Dien Bien Phu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $197 per month, with Dien Bien Phu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Dien Bien Phu

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

07:41 7:41 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

80,366

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Dien Bien Phu 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dien Bien Phu

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 Dien Bien Phu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dien Bien Phu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $1,154 in Dien Bien Phu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $413 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $770 in Dien Bien Phu – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $770 in Dien Bien Phu versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dien Bien Phu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dien Bien Phu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dien Bien Phu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Dien Bien Phu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dien Bien Phu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.