Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $891 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

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Istočno Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Istočno Sarajevo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Istočno Sarajevo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $891 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Medellin $1,625
Istočno Sarajevo $891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,356 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Medellin $2,412
Istočno Sarajevo $1,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,821 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Medellin $3,199
Istočno Sarajevo $1,821

Living in Medellin is roughly 82% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Istočno Sarajevo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$8.59 BAM 14.97

-3.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$37.38 BAM 65.1

25.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$6.83 BAM 11.90

35.29%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,596

$1.70 BAM 2.95

79.41%

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

$1.80 COP 5,659

$1.98 BAM 3.44

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,345

$1.40 BAM 2.44

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$2.33 BAM 4.06

39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$2.24 BAM 3.90

148.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,720

$1.46 BAM 2.55

2.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,445

$1.32 BAM 2.29

79.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,332

$2.12 BAM 3.69

-19.81%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,301

$3.15 BAM 5.48

-6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

$10.23 BAM 17.83

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$7.66 BAM 13.35

27.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

$14.03 BAM 24.45

-0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$1.41 BAM 2.45

192.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$1.58 BAM 2.75

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,993

$1.51 BAM 2.63

47.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$1.67 BAM 2.91

35.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,258

$0.92 BAM 1.60

116.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,241

$1.11 BAM 1.93

50.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$1.07 BAM 1.87

10.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,886

$0.98 BAM 1.71

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$3.91 BAM 6.81

-1.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$8.20 BAM 14.29

68.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,212

$0.87 BAM 1.52

90.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,552

$1.56 BAM 2.71

53.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.30 BAM 2.27

-4.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

$1.42 BAM 2.47

-9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$1.16 BAM 2.02

85.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

$8.80 BAM 15.33

-4.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

$1.58 BAM 2.75

-14.56%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

$29.8K BAM 51.9K

16.67%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$21.6K BAM 37.7K

60.48%

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

$167 COP 524.0K

$90.8 BAM 158

83.45%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$18.16 BAM 31.64

-25.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$27.46 BAM 47.85

6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

$33.45 BAM 58.3

34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

$13.90 BAM 24.22

23.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

$5.64 BAM 9.82

23.58%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$134 BAM 233

491.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

$3,824 BAM 6,663

136.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$87.9 BAM 153

-0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.8K

$31.68 BAM 55.2

83.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.0K

$89.0 BAM 155

56.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$98.1 BAM 171

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$215 BAM 375

377.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$185 BAM 322

235.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$253 BAM 441

642.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$213 BAM 371

372.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$1,722 BAM 3,000

131.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,356 BAM 2,363

25.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$712 BAM 1,241

-6.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.08

168.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.7% 70.2% $435

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$236 26.5% 20.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$136 15.3% 34.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.5% 20.1% $35

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.6% 18.5% $32

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$12 * 1.4% 87% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 24.2% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istočno Sarajevo pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $37 in Istočno Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $236 per month, with Istočno Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

01:46 1:46 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,642

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3,144 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Istočno Sarajevo 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Istočno Sarajevo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Istočno Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Istočno Sarajevo differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $891 including rent). Istočno Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $134 in Istočno Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo – a meal for two runs $37 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $891 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Istočno Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.