Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grand Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grand Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,188 in Grand Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,272 in Grand Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,356 in Grand Bay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 41% more expensive than in Grand Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Grand Bay is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.01 MUR 283

33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$63.0 MUR 2,971

-24.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.18 MUR 339

37.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.72 MUR 128

15.07%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.13 MUR 53.3

69.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.65 MUR 30.72

132.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.61 MUR 123

19.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.69 MUR 221

22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.35 MUR 63.6

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.73 MUR 34.64

241.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.11 MUR 52.5

59.46%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.45 MUR 115

20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$20.77 MUR 979

-51.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.20 MUR 292

63.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$21.47 MUR 1,012

-33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.95 MUR 91.9

112.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.98 MUR 93.5

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.44 MUR 67.8

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.87 MUR 135

-21.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.00 MUR 47.00

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.03 MUR 48.31

49.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.70 MUR 32.82

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.52 MUR 24.71

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.37 MUR 300

-38.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.70 MUR 410

61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.70 MUR 80.0

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.99 MUR 93.7

44.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.05 MUR 49.31

16.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.28 MUR 202

-69.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.54 MUR 120

-13.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$21.41 MUR 1,009

-59.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-2.14%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.5K MUR 1.6M

-19.31%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

-3.03%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$45.57 MUR 2,148

289.07%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$15.76 MUR 743

-11.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.56 MUR 1,393

0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$58.0 MUR 2,734

-22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.22 MUR 293

6.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$126 MUR 5,932

545.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,665 MUR 361.2K

19.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$59.5 MUR 2,804

50.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$63.4 MUR 2,988

-6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$108 MUR 5,097

27.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$87.4 MUR 4,118

16.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$592 MUR 27.9K

79.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$442 MUR 20.8K

49.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,066 MUR 97.4K

-8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,514 MUR 71.4K

-32.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,284 MUR 60.5K

-47.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Grand Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $592 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $63.0 in Grand Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $279, with Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Grand Bay. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $592 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $126 in Grand Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grand Bay – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,188 in Grand Bay versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.