Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palangkaraya

For one person, living is cheaper in Palangkaraya: $603 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Palangkaraya, Indonesia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Palangkaraya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$603
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Palangkaraya

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $603 in Palangkaraya, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Palangkaraya $603

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $960 in Palangkaraya, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Palangkaraya $960

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,317 in Palangkaraya, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Palangkaraya $1,317

Medellin costs about 180% more than Palangkaraya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Palangkaraya is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$1.40 Rp 25.3K
495.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.2K
$13.83 Rp 250.8K
236.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$3.64 Rp 66.0K
160.16%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.47 Rp 26.7K
112.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,702
$0.45 Rp 8,244
293.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,599
$0.18 Rp 3,255
688.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
39.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$3.46 Rp 62.8K
64.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,948
$1.16 Rp 21.1K
31.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$1.05 Rp 19.1K
118.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,279
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
136.59%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,900
$1.40 Rp 25.5K
119.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$7.04 Rp 127.7K
41.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$2.21 Rp 40.1K
372.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$6.41 Rp 116.3K
117.78%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
81.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,934
$1.73 Rp 31.3K
-11.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,794
$1.55 Rp 28.1K
35.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,405
$0.93 Rp 16.9K
146.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,810
$1.22 Rp 22.2K
72.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,518
$1.88 Rp 34.0K
-9.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,778
$0.85 Rp 15.5K
37.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,101
$0.41 Rp 7,509
285.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
43.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$20.79 Rp 377.1K
-32.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,688
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
-2.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,756
$2.87 Rp 52.1K
-5.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,809
$0.25 Rp 4,563
372.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.3K
$11.65 Rp 211.4K
554.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,833
$0.53 Rp 9,653
241.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,874
$0.32 Rp 5,720
565.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$2.79 Rp 50.6K
191.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,117
$0.65 Rp 11.7K
96.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$23.0K Rp 417.0M
49.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$32.2K Rp 583.5M
6.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.8K
$64.0 Rp 1.2M
177.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$4.37 Rp 79.3K
217.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$19.16 Rp 347.6K
60.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$5.53 Rp 100.2K
658.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$8.04 Rp 145.9K
108.96%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$2.69 Rp 48.8K
177.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$94.4 Rp 1.7M
736.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$7,979 Rp 144.7M
54.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.7K
$42.88 Rp 777.9K
101.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.3K
$28.02 Rp 508.3K
111.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.6K
$73.8 Rp 1.3M
87.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.0K
$69.8 Rp 1.3M
41.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$223 Rp 4.0M
501.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$146 Rp 2.7M
356.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$542 Rp 9.8M
264.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$361 Rp 6.5M
186.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$1,146 Rp 20.8M
257.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$780 Rp 14.2M
148.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Palangkaraya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Palangkaraya: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Palangkaraya
$146 78.1% $521
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Palangkaraya
$187 39.2% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Palangkaraya
$87 60.7% $135
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Palangkaraya
$61 64.9% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Palangkaraya
$97 44% $76
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Palangkaraya
$15 84.2% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Palangkaraya
$11 80.8% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $223 in Palangkaraya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $14 in Palangkaraya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $187 – making Palangkaraya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇩 Palangkaraya
🕒 Local time
11:42 11:42 AM
23:42 11:42 PM
12 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
220,962
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,309 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Palangkaraya 18,870 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Palangkaraya

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 Palangkaraya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palangkaraya cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 180%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $905 in Palangkaraya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Palangkaraya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Palangkaraya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $14 in Palangkaraya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Palangkaraya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $603 in Palangkaraya. That makes Palangkaraya about 64% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Palangkaraya?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Palangkaraya, where all-in costs run around $603, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Palangkaraya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Palangkaraya more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Palangkaraya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Palangkaraya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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