Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jambi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jambi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $628 in Jambi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $991 in Jambi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,354 in Jambi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 161% more expensive than in Jambi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Jambi is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$1.57 Rp 27.7K

412.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$12.57 Rp 221.4K

284.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$2.92 Rp 51.5K

222.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$1.37 Rp 24.1K

114.60%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$0.46 Rp 8,113

304.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.21 Rp 3,774

595.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$3.44 Rp 60.6K

65.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.12 Rp 19.6K

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.88 Rp 15.5K

93.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.51 Rp 26.6K

91.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$6.31 Rp 111.1K

59.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$3.17 Rp 55.9K

214.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$7.28 Rp 128.2K

95.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.22 Rp 39.1K

79.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.31 Rp 23.1K

20.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.73 Rp 30.5K

24.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.23 Rp 21.6K

86.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.34 Rp 23.6K

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.93 Rp 34.0K

-21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$0.68 Rp 12.0K

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.44 Rp 7,727

190.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.68 Rp 47.2K

43.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$23.12 Rp 407.1K

-39.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.88 Rp 33.1K

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$3.09 Rp 54.4K

-11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.31 Rp 5,458

303.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.52 Rp 9,183

151.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.31 Rp 5,496

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$3.23 Rp 56.9K

156.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

70.00%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$24.2K Rp 426.5M

13.45%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$29.2K Rp 513.8M

25.24%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$64.5 Rp 1.1M

161.42%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$4.08 Rp 71.8K

232.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$18.16 Rp 319.9K

55.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$15.26 Rp 268.8K

199.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$9.00 Rp 158.5K

91.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$2.75 Rp 48.4K

141.82%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$91.6 Rp 1.6M

777.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$7,065 Rp 124.4M

30.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$40.03 Rp 705.0K

118.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$25.35 Rp 446.4K

134.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

92.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$262 Rp 4.6M

308.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$167 Rp 2.9M

291.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$626 Rp 11.0M

207.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$421 Rp 7.4M

149.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$1,137 Rp 20.0M

262.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$709 Rp 12.5M

139.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$208 Rp 3.7M

215.54%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jambi: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $262 in Jambi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 216% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $13.00 in Jambi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $199 per month, with Jambi 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 Jambi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Jambi differ by about 161% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $628 including rent). Jambi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 216% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $262 in Jambi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $628 in Jambi – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $628 in Jambi versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 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 161% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.