Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jambi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jambi: $614 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Jambi
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Jambi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Jambi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jambi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $614 in Jambi.

Medellin $1,639
Jambi $614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $977 in Jambi.

Medellin $2,413
Jambi $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,340 in Jambi.

Medellin $3,186
Jambi $1,340

Living in Medellin is roughly 167% more expensive than in Jambi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Jambi is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.3K

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

439.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 147.2K

$12.18 Rp 221.0K

286.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.7K

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

236.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,433

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

128.03%

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

$1.80 COP 5,629

$0.43 Rp 7,726

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,419

$0.17 Rp 3,132

729.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,935

$2.11 Rp 38.4K

50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.0K

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

63.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,724

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,439

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,542

$0.86 Rp 15.7K

105.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,043

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

96.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 31.9K

$8.08 Rp 146.7K

26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 30.9K

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

262.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 43.8K

$7.31 Rp 132.7K

91.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.4K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

78.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,856

$1.29 Rp 23.5K

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,829

$1.57 Rp 28.5K

38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,832

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

83.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,140

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 4,973

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

-18.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,584

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

30.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,889

$0.43 Rp 7,797

188.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.4K

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

48.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 42.8K

$22.44 Rp 407.1K

-39.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,193

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,064

$2.87 Rp 52.0K

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,654

$0.26 Rp 4,705

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 242.1K

$11.33 Rp 205.6K

582.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,967

$0.50 Rp 8,984

154.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,406

$0.31 Rp 5,593

561.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.8K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

183.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,214

$1.02 Rp 18.4K

32.35%

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

$34.1K COP 106.6M

$23.0K Rp 416.6M

48.38%

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

$34.7K COP 108.5M

$36.3K Rp 658.0M

-4.39%

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

$170 COP 530.8K

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

130.53%

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

$13.55 COP 42.4K

$3.81 Rp 69.2K

255.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 87.8K

$17.48 Rp 317.2K

60.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 136.7K

$15.36 Rp 278.8K

184.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 53.8K

$8.55 Rp 155.2K

101.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.6K

$2.71 Rp 49.2K

154.98%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$86.2 Rp 1.6M

824.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.5M

$8,342 Rp 151.4M

9.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 265.0K

$42.73 Rp 775.3K

98.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 181.3K

$31.73 Rp 575.7K

82.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 422.2K

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

86.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 306.2K

$66.6 Rp 1.2M

47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$215 Rp 3.9M

462.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$134 Rp 2.4M

380.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.3M

$567 Rp 10.3M

257.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$349 Rp 6.3M

189.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.0M

$1,148 Rp 20.8M

263.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$759 Rp 13.8M

151.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$198 Rp 3.6M

231.17%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Jambi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Jambi

$134 21.7% 79.2% $508

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Jambi

$198 32.3% 33.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Jambi

$95 15.5% 55.1% $116

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Jambi

$56 9.2% 66.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Jambi

$96 15.6% 43.2% $73

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Jambi

$14 2.3% 84.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Jambi

$21 3.4% 63.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $215 in Jambi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $12 in Jambi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $198 per month, with Jambi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Jambi

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

01:21 1:21 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

750,857

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.2 USD

10,000 COP = 2.87 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 3,129 COP (10,000 COP = 3.2 USD). 1 EUR = 3,488 COP (10,000 COP = 2.87 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,229 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Jambi 19,490 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jambi

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 Jambi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Jambi differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $614 including rent). Jambi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $215 in Jambi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $614 in Jambi – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jambi runs roughly 85% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $614 in Jambi versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Jambi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jambi 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.

Expats usually find Jambi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.