Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Seria

For one person, living is cheaper in Seria: $567 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Seria, Brunei
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Seria
🇧🇳 Brunei
$567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Seria

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $567 in Seria, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Seria $567

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $906 in Seria, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Seria $906

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,246 in Seria, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Seria $1,246

Medellin costs about 189% more than Seria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Seria is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.17 BND 4.05
155.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$27.77 BND 35.52
69.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$5.41 BND 6.92
75.60%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.54 BND 1.97
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.31 BND 2.95
-
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$3.82 BND 4.88
-21.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.94 BND 1.21
91.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$0.55 BND 0.70
156.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.88 BND 2.40
-19.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$1.42 BND 1.81
67.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.24 BND 1.58
42.74%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$1.37 BND 1.75
110.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$6.16 BND 7.88
65.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$4.54 BND 5.80
117.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$10.94 BND 14.00
27.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.05 BND 3.90
30.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$2.17 BND 2.78
-28.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$2.98 BND 3.81
-26.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$2.58 BND 3.30
-15.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$1.67 BND 2.13
17.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.99 BND 2.55
-20.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$3.71 BND 4.75
-69.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.81 BND 1.03
53.09%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$23.85 BND 30.50
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$3.27 BND 4.18
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.10 BND 1.41
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$15.37 BND 19.66
-74.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Seria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$3.81 BND 4.87
-66.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$3.22 BND 4.13
-36.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$11.61 BND 14.86
-26.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$0.30 BND 0.38
350.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$42.9K BND 54.8K
-20.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$37.2K BND 47.5K
-6.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$61.4 BND 78.5
176.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$15.76 BND 20.16
-14.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$64.4 BND 82.4
-56.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$26.90 BND 34.41
62.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$5.55 BND 7.10
24.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$217 BND 278
266.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$9,715 BND 12.4K
-6.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$31.37 BND 40.13
170.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$27.14 BND 34.72
113.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$49.79 BND 63.7
171.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$47.70 BND 61.0
105.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Seria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Seria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$689 BND 882
-4.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.88
181.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Seria
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Seria
$204 31.3% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Seria
$142 33% $70
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Seria
$93 44.9% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Seria
$70 58.5% $99
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Seria
$20 * 78.7% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Seria
$38 33.9% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 5% higher in Seria, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $28 in Seria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $204 – making Seria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇧🇳 Seria
🕒 Local time
08:47 8:47 AM
21:47 9:47 PM
13 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
30,097
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.701 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Seria 18,380 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Seria

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 Seria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seria cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 189%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $851 in Seria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Seria?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $28 in Seria. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Seria?
Groceries cost about 46% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Seria?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Seria, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Seria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Seria?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $567 in Seria to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?