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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,162 in Grand Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,277 in Grand Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $3,391 in Grand Bay.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 13% less than in Grand Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Grand Bay 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$8.11 MUR 383

-26.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$50.3 MUR 2,376

-34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.44 MUR 304

10.09%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.54 MUR 120

-32.68%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.96 MUR 45.13

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.57 MUR 26.90

36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$3.38 MUR 160

-50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.37 MUR 159

-8.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.33 MUR 62.6

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.67 MUR 31.53

88.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.28 MUR 60.5

7.81%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.31 MUR 109

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$33.34 MUR 1,575

-86.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.05 MUR 286

-6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$21.92 MUR 1,036

-59.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.72 MUR 81.2

36.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.96 MUR 92.7

-45.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.44 MUR 67.9

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.76 MUR 130

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.03 MUR 48.72

11.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.93 MUR 44.17

24.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.84 MUR 39.57

5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.47 MUR 21.97

78.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$6.51 MUR 308

-64.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.37 MUR 396

27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.71 MUR 80.8

-29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.61 MUR 75.9

53.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.04 MUR 49.06

-17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$4.30 MUR 203

-65.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$2.64 MUR 125

-25.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$19.73 MUR 932

-60.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.40 MUR 66.3

-32.14%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-49.16%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-9.34%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$49.27 MUR 2,328

66.94%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$15.34 MUR 725

-38.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$31.04 MUR 1,467

-21.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$60.7 MUR 2,867

-57.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.92 MUR 280

-33.61%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$152 MUR 7,201

103.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$8,065 MUR 381.1K

-26.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$55.9 MUR 2,642

4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$78.3 MUR 3,702

-58.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$119 MUR 5,623

-13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$84.4 MUR 3,987

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$618 MUR 29.2K

-22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$355 MUR 16.8K

6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,317 MUR 62.2K

-36.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,537 MUR 72.6K

-52.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,296 MUR 61.2K

-60.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.5

106.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Grand Bay: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $618 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 153% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Grand Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $313 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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Grand Bay earns 153% 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 $618 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $152 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 Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $50.0 in Grand Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,162 in Grand Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Grand Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Grand Bay, 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Grand Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.