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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $997 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,737 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,477 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Gili Trawangan 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

148.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.9K

$21.45 Rp 389.6K

53.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

111.01%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,146

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

-5.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,944

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,795

$0.49 Rp 8,987

59.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,028

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

15.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,925

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,530

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-31.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,947

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

46.81%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,867

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$11.07 Rp 201.0K

-60.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.30 Rp 60.0K

70.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.9K

$8.94 Rp 162.4K

-0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,391

$2.91 Rp 52.8K

-19.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,796

$1.19 Rp 21.7K

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,401

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

-30.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,949

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

-19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,132

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

-23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,176

$1.67 Rp 30.4K

-30.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,198

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

17.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,012

$0.59 Rp 10.8K

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,186

$2.52 Rp 45.7K

-9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$17.84 Rp 324.1K

-40.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,305

$2.14 Rp 38.8K

-43.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,869

$2.08 Rp 37.8K

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,072

$0.23 Rp 4,172

273.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.6K

$6.93 Rp 125.9K

497.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,290

$0.38 Rp 6,985

286.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,045

$0.39 Rp 7,012

402.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$5.25 Rp 95.3K

47.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,426

$0.69 Rp 12.6K

37.68%

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

$18.1K COP 65.1M

$21.9K Rp 397.0M

-17.03%

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

$26.5K COP 95.1M

$27.0K Rp 490.8M

-1.97%

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

$82.3 COP 295.2K

$67.3 Rp 1.2M

22.27%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$3.41 Rp 61.9K

178.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.0K

$20.24 Rp 367.6K

19.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.9K

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

-61.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.2K

$4.55 Rp 82.7K

317.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$2.85 Rp 51.8K

37.89%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$217 Rp 3.9M

42.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$4,856 Rp 88.2M

22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.5K

$47.55 Rp 863.7K

23.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.1K

$32.76 Rp 595.1K

-1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.2K

$76.1 Rp 1.4M

34.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.2K

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

60.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$407 Rp 7.4M

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,044 Rp 37.1M

-58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,260 Rp 22.9M

-42.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,665 Rp 30.2M

67.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,381 Rp 25.1M

-12.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $607 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Gili Trawangan. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $227, 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,495 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: $476 in Medellin versus $607 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 21% 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 $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $997 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,013 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.