Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sibolga Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sibolga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $631 in Sibolga, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $990 in Sibolga, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,349 in Sibolga, rent included.

Medellin costs about 160% more than Sibolga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Sibolga is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.67 Rp 29.3K

381.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$13.83 Rp 243.5K

249.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.25 Rp 57.3K

189.85%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.51 Rp 26.6K

94.70%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.42 Rp 7,443

342.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.23 Rp 4,046

534.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.28 Rp 40.2K

40.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.50 Rp 61.6K

63.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.14 Rp 20.0K

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.12 Rp 19.7K

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.82 Rp 14.4K

107.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.45 Rp 25.5K

99.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.20 Rp 126.7K

39.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.05 Rp 53.6K

226.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.78 Rp 136.9K

82.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.31 Rp 40.7K

72.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.29 Rp 22.7K

22.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.76 Rp 31.0K

22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.24 Rp 21.8K

85.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.26 Rp 22.2K

58.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.93 Rp 34.0K

-21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.74 Rp 12.9K

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.44 Rp 7,688

190.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.64 Rp 46.5K

45.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$20.25 Rp 356.5K

-30.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.85 Rp 32.6K

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.94 Rp 51.8K

-6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.27 Rp 4,721

362.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.53 Rp 9,260

147.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.33 Rp 5,732

557.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.84 Rp 50.0K

191.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

78.95%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.4K Rp 411.5M

17.53%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$31.3K Rp 551.8M

16.58%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$69.5 Rp 1.2M

142.83%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$4.48 Rp 78.9K

202.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$19.05 Rp 335.5K

48.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$20.58 Rp 362.4K

122.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$8.69 Rp 153.0K

98.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$2.89 Rp 50.9K

130.10%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

751.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,787 Rp 137.1M

18.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$43.61 Rp 767.8K

100.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$30.17 Rp 531.2K

96.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$73.3 Rp 1.3M

89.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$72.5 Rp 1.3M

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$227 Rp 4.0M

371.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$153 Rp 2.7M

328.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$553 Rp 9.7M

248.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$366 Rp 6.4M

186.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,199 Rp 21.1M

243.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$669 Rp 11.8M

153.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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 Sibolga: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $227 in Sibolga. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $14.00 in Sibolga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $196 – making Sibolga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sibolga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 160%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $947 in Sibolga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sibolga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $14.00 in Sibolga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sibolga, where all-in costs run around $631, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Sibolga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sibolga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sibolga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.