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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $996 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,435 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,873 in Foca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 65% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Foca is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$5.35 BAM 8.98

50.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$23.42 BAM 39.33

106.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$4.73 BAM 7.94

99.15%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$1.59 BAM 2.67

84.91%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$1.38 BAM 2.31

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$0.86 BAM 1.44

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$1.81 BAM 3.04

77.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.39 BAM 4.02

138.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$1.22 BAM 2.04

18.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$1.14 BAM 1.92

110.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$1.63 BAM 2.74

4.29%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$2.08 BAM 3.49

38.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$6.99 BAM 11.74

43.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$6.64 BAM 11.15

50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$10.55 BAM 17.72

34.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$0.86 BAM 1.44

362.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.74 BAM 2.93

-9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$2.31 BAM 3.89

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$1.76 BAM 2.95

30.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$1.06 BAM 1.78

88.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$1.40 BAM 2.35

7.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$1.19 BAM 1.99

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$0.95 BAM 1.60

34.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$3.67 BAM 6.17

4.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$8.31 BAM 13.95

68.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$0.92 BAM 1.54

85.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$1.17 BAM 1.96

134.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$1.36 BAM 2.28

-8.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$1.80 BAM 3.03

-27.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$0.57 BAM 0.96

280.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$17.52 BAM 29.43

-52.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$1.57 BAM 2.63

-13.38%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$31.8K BAM 53.4K

-13.63%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$22.2K BAM 37.3K

64.72%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$163 BAM 273

3.67%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$16.91 BAM 28.40

-19.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$35.86 BAM 60.2

-21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$33.81 BAM 56.8

35.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$6.08 BAM 10.22

9.38%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$306 BAM 514

162.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$3,664 BAM 6,154

150.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$86.3 BAM 145

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$36.91 BAM 62.0

60.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$70.6 BAM 119

96.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$148 BAM 249

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$158 BAM 265

578.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$259 BAM 435

152.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$538 BAM 903

258.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$379 BAM 637

176.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,488 BAM 4,179

65.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,854 BAM 3,113

-8.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.44

146.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Foca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $158 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $203 per month, with Foca 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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,494 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $158 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $306 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Foca – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Foca versus $1,641 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 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.