Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Jakarta: $793 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
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Jakarta Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jakarta

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 Jakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $793 in Jakarta, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Jakarta $793

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,283 in Jakarta, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Jakarta $1,283

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,772 in Jakarta, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Jakarta $1,772

Medellin costs about 100% more than Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Jakarta is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$2.63 Rp 47.1K

204.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$16.93 Rp 302.9K

174.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$3.33 Rp 59.5K

183.18%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

45.50%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$0.43 Rp 7,775

306.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.25 Rp 4,472

428.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.57 Rp 45.9K

21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

123.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

79.12%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$1.77 Rp 31.7K

59.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$9.22 Rp 164.9K

5.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$3.11 Rp 55.6K

199.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$7.78 Rp 139.1K

73.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$2.87 Rp 51.4K

39.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.50 Rp 44.6K

-15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

61.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

-22.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

22.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.51 Rp 9,105

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$2.80 Rp 50.1K

36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$20.83 Rp 372.7K

-37.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$2.05 Rp 36.7K

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$3.04 Rp 54.4K

-25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.27 Rp 4,809

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$11.86 Rp 212.1K

532.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$0.50 Rp 8,982

154.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.33 Rp 5,888

521.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$3.42 Rp 61.2K

139.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

45.98%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$27.8K Rp 496.8M

-3.58%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$32.6K Rp 583.5M

5.49%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$106 Rp 1.9M

53.23%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$6.04 Rp 108.0K

117.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$19.04 Rp 340.7K

47.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$25.65 Rp 458.8K

72.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$13.65 Rp 244.3K

19.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

85.11%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$153 Rp 2.7M

398.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$8,270 Rp 147.9M

7.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$58.7 Rp 1.0M

44.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$28.37 Rp 507.5K

102.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

85.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$106 Rp 1.9M

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$370 Rp 6.6M

178.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$200 Rp 3.6M

201.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,155 Rp 20.7M

56.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$556 Rp 10.0M

78.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$3,023 Rp 54.1M

29.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,445 Rp 25.9M

13.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$449 Rp 8.0M

39.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.46

15.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Jakarta

$200 25.3% 66.9% $404

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Jakarta

$218 27.5% 24.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Jakarta

$131 16.5% 35.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Jakarta

$119 15% 28.7% $48

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Jakarta

$78 9.9% 52.9% $88

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Jakarta

$15 1.9% 83.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Jakarta

$32 4.1% 43% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $370 in Jakarta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Jakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $218 – making Jakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

08:19 8:19 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,337,563 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Jakarta 19,750 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jakarta

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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 100% more than Jakarta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,190 in Jakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $764 per month in Medellin and $153 in Jakarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jakarta, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Jakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jakarta costs $793 versus $1,589 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Jakarta. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.