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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $970 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,619 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,268 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 69% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Gili Trawangan is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$2.29 Rp 40.4K

251.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$24.20 Rp 426.2K

99.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$3.80 Rp 66.8K

147.89%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$1.78 Rp 31.3K

65.17%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$1.22 Rp 21.4K

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.53 Rp 9,330

175.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.96 Rp 34.6K

63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.96 Rp 52.1K

92.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.23 Rp 21.7K

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.71 Rp 30.1K

40.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.83 Rp 14.6K

104.82%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

79.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$13.40 Rp 236.0K

-24.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$3.08 Rp 54.2K

223.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$9.12 Rp 160.6K

55.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.73 Rp 48.1K

45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.24 Rp 21.8K

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.79 Rp 31.6K

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

47.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.45 Rp 25.5K

37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.86 Rp 32.7K

-18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.39 Rp 6,814

228.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$1.69 Rp 29.8K

127.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$17.38 Rp 306.1K

-19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.76 Rp 31.0K

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.24 Rp 39.5K

22.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.21 Rp 3,698

495.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$7.10 Rp 125.0K

997.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.41 Rp 7,291

219.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.40 Rp 7,096

442.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$5.19 Rp 91.3K

59.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

100.00%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.2K Rp 372.9M

29.75%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$26.6K Rp 468.7M

37.30%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$71.3 Rp 1.3M

136.63%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$5.47 Rp 96.4K

148.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$15.78 Rp 278.0K

79.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$40.33 Rp 710.4K

13.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$12.84 Rp 226.2K

34.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$3.17 Rp 55.8K

109.78%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$353 Rp 6.2M

127.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$4,175 Rp 73.5M

120.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$39.31 Rp 692.4K

122.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$30.24 Rp 532.6K

96.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$69.9 Rp 1.2M

98.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$693 Rp 12.2M

54.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$414 Rp 7.3M

57.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$2,186 Rp 38.5M

-11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$1,071 Rp 18.9M

-2.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$1,705 Rp 30.0M

141.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,384 Rp 24.4M

22.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.78

-20.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $693 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $222 per month, with Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,455 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $693 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $970 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,641 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 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.