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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $946 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,406 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,866 in Foca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Foca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.04 BAM 11.87

-14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$16.61 BAM 27.98

97.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.86 BAM 14.93

-19.98%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.66 BAM 2.80

3.01%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.02 BAM 1.72

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.55 BAM 0.93

41.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.08 BAM 3.50

-19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.88 BAM 4.86

6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.16 BAM 1.95

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.16 BAM 1.96

8.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.63 BAM 2.75

-15.34%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$3.03 BAM 5.10

-27.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.38 BAM 15.80

-53.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.37 BAM 9.05

4.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$12.23 BAM 20.61

-27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$0.91 BAM 1.54

157.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.59 BAM 2.67

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.95 BAM 3.28

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.95 BAM 3.28

-29.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.19 BAM 2.00

-3.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.25 BAM 2.11

-7.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.22 BAM 2.06

-27.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.72 BAM 1.22

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.71 BAM 6.26

-38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.28 BAM 13.95

28.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.72 BAM 1.21

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.12 BAM 1.90

120.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.75 BAM 2.95

-50.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$34.84 BAM 58.7

18.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.46 BAM 2.46

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.56 BAM 0.94

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$9.08 BAM 15.30

-14.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.54 BAM 2.60

-38.31%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$29.1K BAM 49.0K

-37.60%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$27.1K BAM 45.7K

-2.45%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$174 BAM 293

-52.69%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.69 BAM 31.49

-49.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$23.44 BAM 39.50

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$29.75 BAM 50.1

-12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$11.01 BAM 18.54

72.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.69 BAM 7.90

-16.20%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$238 BAM 401

30.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,653 BAM 6,154

63.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$75.4 BAM 127

-22.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$36.88 BAM 62.1

-12.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$71.9 BAM 121

42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$123 BAM 207

-11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$158 BAM 266

201.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$171 BAM 288

121.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$364 BAM 614

130.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$316 BAM 533

128.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,551 BAM 4,298

9.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,858 BAM 3,130

-34.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Foca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $158 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 $188 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 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,418 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: $476 in Medellin versus $158 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $238 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $946 in Foca versus $1,013 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 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.