Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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 Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $613 in Medan.

Medellin $1,614
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $940 in Medan.

Medellin $2,402
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,266 in Medan.

Medellin $3,190
Medan $1,266

Living in Medellin is roughly 163% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

363.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

455.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

222.03%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

103.27%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.35 Rp 6,215

422.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.25 Rp 4,534

452.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

83.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

53.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

30.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

107.41%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

116.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

165.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

120.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

69.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

52.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

148.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

129.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.38 Rp 6,905

197.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.44 Rp 7,872

184.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

39.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

-15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.27 Rp 4,816

348.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

1189.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.51 Rp 9,186

158.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.19 Rp 3,465

1026.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

62.50%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

13.45%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

9.93%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

102.84%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

321.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

166.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

102.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

90.88%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$112 Rp 2.0M

589.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

432.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

59.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

48.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$108 Rp 1.9M

26.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$111 Rp 2.0M

-11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$233 Rp 4.2M

353.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

586.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$494 Rp 8.9M

282.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$212 Rp 3.8M

383.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

250.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$560 Rp 10.1M

199.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$215 Rp 3.9M

203.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.25

18.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Medan

$90 14.6% 85.4% $526

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Medan

$181 29.5% 38.6% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Medan

$112 18.2% 47.9% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Medan

$140 22.9% 17.5% $30

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Medan

$59 9.6% 65.1% $110

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 90.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Medan

$24 3.8% 59.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 203% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

16:33 4:33 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Medan 18,750 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 1190% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $112 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.