Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gili Trawangan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gili Trawangan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $993 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,737 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,481 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 4% more expensive than Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Gili Trawangan 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$2.28 Rp 39.1K

159.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$21.70 Rp 372.9K

52.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$3.27 Rp 56.2K

121.71%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.83 Rp 31.5K

-6.56%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.92 Rp 15.8K

18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.49 Rp 8,464

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$2.01 Rp 34.5K

-12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.53 Rp 43.5K

25.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

-23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.93 Rp 33.1K

-32.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$0.94 Rp 16.2K

46.81%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.87 Rp 32.2K

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$10.91 Rp 187.5K

-58.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$3.33 Rp 57.2K

74.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$9.18 Rp 157.8K

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.87 Rp 49.3K

-20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.18 Rp 20.3K

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$2.16 Rp 37.1K

-30.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.71 Rp 29.3K

-20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.52 Rp 26.1K

-23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.67 Rp 28.6K

-29.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.82 Rp 14.1K

1.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.55 Rp 9,459

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.53 Rp 43.4K

-7.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$18.15 Rp 312.0K

-38.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$2.16 Rp 37.1K

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.10 Rp 36.1K

17.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.23 Rp 3,950

243.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$6.86 Rp 117.9K

510.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$0.41 Rp 7,084

251.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.36 Rp 6,173

427.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$5.36 Rp 92.0K

43.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$0.74 Rp 12.7K

39.19%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$22.0K Rp 377.5M

-19.50%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$27.4K Rp 471.0M

-1.42%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

21.43%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$3.39 Rp 58.3K

177.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$20.03 Rp 344.2K

18.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

-62.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$4.65 Rp 79.9K

315.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$2.79 Rp 48.0K

45.16%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$218 Rp 3.8M

43.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$4,855 Rp 83.4M

24.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$47.20 Rp 811.2K

24.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$32.73 Rp 562.5K

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$76.5 Rp 1.3M

31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$602 Rp 10.3M

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$412 Rp 7.1M

-10.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,057 Rp 35.3M

-59.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$1,244 Rp 21.4M

-42.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,829 Rp 31.4M

61.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,424 Rp 24.5M

-2.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

13.28

1.13%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $602 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $22 in Gili Trawangan. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $229, 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 Gili Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,544 in Medellin and $1,490 in Gili Trawangan 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: $490 in Medellin versus $602 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gili Trawangan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gili Trawangan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.