Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Foca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Foca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $921 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,387 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,853 in Foca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Foca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$6.98 BAM 11.96

-11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$16.76 BAM 28.70

94.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.97 BAM 15.37

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.57 BAM 2.70

9.55%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.98 BAM 1.68

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.57 BAM 0.97

35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.01 BAM 3.44

-15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.79 BAM 4.77

13.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.20 BAM 2.05

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.19 BAM 2.04

9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.57 BAM 2.69

-10.83%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.96 BAM 5.06

-27.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.60 BAM 16.44

-54.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.24 BAM 8.97

12.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$11.92 BAM 20.42

-27.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$0.84 BAM 1.43

171.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.65 BAM 2.83

-32.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.86 BAM 3.18

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.95 BAM 3.34

-30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.19 BAM 2.04

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.31 BAM 2.24

-13.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.22 BAM 2.09

-30.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.76 BAM 1.31

19.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.68 BAM 6.30

-36.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.47 BAM 14.51

46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.70 BAM 1.19

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.08 BAM 1.85

130.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.85 BAM 3.16

-54.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$35.83 BAM 61.4

13.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.48 BAM 2.54

-4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.52 BAM 0.90

269.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$9.06 BAM 15.52

-15.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.52 BAM 2.60

-34.87%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$28.3K BAM 48.4K

-36.21%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.0K BAM 46.2K

-1.26%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$169 BAM 289

-52.14%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$19.25 BAM 32.98

-48.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$23.25 BAM 39.82

4.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$29.29 BAM 50.2

-14.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$10.84 BAM 18.56

76.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.59 BAM 7.87

-13.29%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$237 BAM 405

28.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,714 BAM 6,360

63.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$75.5 BAM 129

-23.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$37.18 BAM 63.7

-13.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$69.5 BAM 119

44.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$122 BAM 208

-11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$157 BAM 269

203.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$172 BAM 295

118.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$361 BAM 617

134.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$320 BAM 547

128.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,544 BAM 4,358

26.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,760 BAM 3,014

-22.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.02

167.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Foca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $157 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Foca. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $207, 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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,382 in Foca 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: $477 in Medellin versus $157 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $237 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $921 in Foca versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foca 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 Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.