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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $974 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,736 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $2,499 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 5% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Gili Trawangan 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

147.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.6K

$21.82 Rp 391.3K

51.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$3.34 Rp 60.0K

113.17%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,487

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

-8.56%

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

$1.05 COP 3,374

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,324

$0.46 Rp 8,219

56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,531

$1.94 Rp 34.8K

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.57 Rp 46.1K

23.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

-23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,215

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-31.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,279

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

46.15%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,338

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$11.25 Rp 201.8K

-60.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$3.35 Rp 60.1K

76.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$9.34 Rp 167.4K

-7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,545

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-15.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,546

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

-11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,724

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

-31.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,439

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

-18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

-22.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,765

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,905

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,708

$0.55 Rp 9,819

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,490

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

-2.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$17.88 Rp 320.7K

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,693

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

-45.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,791

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

15.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,702

$0.25 Rp 4,487

236.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.4K

$6.90 Rp 123.8K

491.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,541

$0.41 Rp 7,374

243.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,160

$0.39 Rp 6,949

389.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$5.25 Rp 94.2K

49.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,037

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

36.23%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$22.1K Rp 395.6M

-19.21%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$26.9K Rp 482.2M

0.73%

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

$83.3 COP 267.9K

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

22.89%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

184.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$20.73 Rp 371.8K

16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.2K

$68.0 Rp 1.2M

-62.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

$4.60 Rp 82.6K

320.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

40.83%

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

$307 COP 986.5K

$218 Rp 3.9M

40.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$4,891 Rp 87.7M

22.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.9K

$46.61 Rp 835.9K

28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.1K

$33.32 Rp 597.5K

-2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.2K

$75.6 Rp 1.4M

33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.6K

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

60.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$605 Rp 10.8M

-21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$415 Rp 7.4M

-8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$2,097 Rp 37.6M

-61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$1,249 Rp 22.4M

-43.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$1,690 Rp 30.3M

88.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$1,364 Rp 24.5M

6.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Gili Trawangan. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,527 in Medellin and $1,461 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 $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 19% 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 $974 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,018 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 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.