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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $934 in Gracanica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,463 in Gracanica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,993 in Gracanica.

Living in Medellin is roughly 8% more expensive than Gracanica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Gracanica 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.89 BAM 11.58

-13.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$34.95 BAM 58.7

-5.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.50 BAM 9.23

28.91%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.68 BAM 2.83

1.79%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.84 BAM 3.09

-40.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.19 BAM 2.00

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.42 BAM 4.07

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.09 BAM 3.51

46.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.41 BAM 2.37

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.33 BAM 2.23

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$2.38 BAM 4.00

-42.02%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.89 BAM 4.85

-24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.25 BAM 17.22

-57.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.23 BAM 12.15

-22.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$13.50 BAM 22.68

-34.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.24 BAM 2.09

88.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.66 BAM 2.80

-36.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.93 BAM 3.24

-22.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.72 BAM 2.89

-19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.80 BAM 1.34

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.74 BAM 1.24

56.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.92 BAM 1.54

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.02 BAM 1.71

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.51 BAM 5.89

-35.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.17 BAM 13.73

30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.26 BAM 2.11

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.07 BAM 3.47

19.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.79 BAM 3.01

-51.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$35.51 BAM 59.7

16.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.81 BAM 3.03

-18.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.78 BAM 1.31

151.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$10.78 BAM 18.11

-28.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.50 BAM 2.52

-36.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$23.9K BAM 40.2K

-24.21%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$26.8K BAM 45.0K

-1.15%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$124 BAM 208

-33.52%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.84 BAM 31.66

-49.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$28.45 BAM 47.79

-14.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$28.92 BAM 48.59

-10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$11.03 BAM 18.53

72.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.71 BAM 9.60

-31.17%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$151 BAM 253

105.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,279 BAM 5,510

81.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$71.2 BAM 120

-17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$35.37 BAM 59.4

-8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$97.3 BAM 163

5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$119 BAM 200

-9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$260 BAM 437

83.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$171 BAM 287

121.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$357 BAM 600

134.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$314 BAM 527

130.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,754 BAM 4,627

1.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,004 BAM 3,367

-39.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$600 BAM 1,008

-14.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.14

224.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gracanica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $260 in Gracanica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gracanica pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Gracanica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $235 per month, with Medellin 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 Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Gracanica earns 17% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $260 in Gracanica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $151 in Gracanica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $934 in Gracanica versus $1,013 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 8% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.