Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gracanica Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gracanica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,042 in Gracanica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,559 in Gracanica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,076 in Gracanica.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Gracanica, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Gracanica is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$7.19 BAM 12.08

11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$39.16 BAM 65.8

23.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$6.92 BAM 11.62

36.13%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$1.74 BAM 2.92

68.97%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$1.92 BAM 3.22

-3.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$1.24 BAM 2.08

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$2.39 BAM 4.01

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.31 BAM 3.88

147.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$1.49 BAM 2.51

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$1.47 BAM 2.46

63.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$2.39 BAM 4.01

-28.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$2.95 BAM 4.95

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$9.87 BAM 16.58

1.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$7.38 BAM 12.39

35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$13.29 BAM 22.32

6.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.25 BAM 2.10

218.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.88 BAM 3.16

-15.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$1.89 BAM 3.17

13.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$1.74 BAM 2.93

32.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$0.79 BAM 1.33

153.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$0.74 BAM 1.24

104.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$0.95 BAM 1.59

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$1.01 BAM 1.69

26.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$4.15 BAM 6.96

-7.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$8.34 BAM 14.00

67.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$1.37 BAM 2.30

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$2.32 BAM 3.90

18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$1.31 BAM 2.20

-4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$1.80 BAM 3.02

-27.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$1.01 BAM 1.70

114.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$10.57 BAM 17.76

-21.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$1.47 BAM 2.47

-7.48%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$31.4K BAM 52.7K

-12.52%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$22.4K BAM 37.6K

63.38%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$126 BAM 211

34.37%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$18.83 BAM 31.62

-27.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$28.69 BAM 48.18

-1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$33.62 BAM 56.5

35.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.47 BAM 9.19

21.57%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$153 BAM 258

423.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$3,949 BAM 6,632

132.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$117 BAM 197

-25.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$35.66 BAM 59.9

66.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$101 BAM 169

37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$121 BAM 203

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$351 BAM 590

205.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$264 BAM 443

147.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$529 BAM 889

263.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$373 BAM 627

180.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,531 BAM 4,250

62.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,793 BAM 3,012

-5.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$599 BAM 1,006

9.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.3

154.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Gracanica: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $351 in Gracanica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Gracanica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $239 per month, with Gracanica 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 Gracanica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gracanica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $351 in Gracanica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $153 in Gracanica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gracanica – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,042 in Gracanica versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gracanica but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gracanica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gracanica 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 Gracanica 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 Gracanica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.