Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tanjung Pandan

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Tanjung Pandan, Indonesia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Tanjung Pandan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$617
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tanjung Pandan

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $617 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Tanjung Pandan $617

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,000 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Tanjung Pandan $1,000

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,383 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Tanjung Pandan $1,383

Medellin costs about 166% more than Tanjung Pandan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tanjung Pandan is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.3K
$1.59 Rp 28.9K
408.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 147.2K
$15.06 Rp 273.3K
212.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.7K
$3.59 Rp 65.2K
164.62%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,433
$1.50 Rp 27.3K
100.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,629
$0.42 Rp 7,687
328.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,419
$0.22 Rp 3,943
540.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,935
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
55.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.0K
$3.33 Rp 60.4K
72.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,724
$1.06 Rp 19.2K
42.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,439
$1.00 Rp 18.1K
138.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,542
$0.94 Rp 17.1K
88.30%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,043
$1.25 Rp 22.7K
131.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 31.9K
$6.37 Rp 115.5K
59.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 30.9K
$3.26 Rp 59.2K
202.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 43.8K
$8.49 Rp 154.1K
64.78%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.4K
$1.93 Rp 35.0K
105.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,856
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
37.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,829
$1.76 Rp 31.9K
23.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,832
$1.24 Rp 22.5K
75.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,140
$1.08 Rp 19.7K
81.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 4,973
$1.90 Rp 34.5K
-16.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,584
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
47.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,889
$0.40 Rp 7,297
210.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.4K
$2.51 Rp 45.6K
57.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 42.8K
$23.14 Rp 419.9K
-40.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,193
$1.82 Rp 33.0K
-8.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,064
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
-33.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,654
$0.25 Rp 4,557
368.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 242.1K
$10.41 Rp 188.8K
643.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,967
$0.47 Rp 8,524
170.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,406
$0.36 Rp 6,501
469.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.8K
$2.47 Rp 44.9K
246.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,214
$0.88 Rp 16.1K
53.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 106.6M
$20.2K Rp 366.3M
68.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 108.5M
$30.6K Rp 555.6M
13.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 530.8K
$60.5 Rp 1.1M
180.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.4K
$4.22 Rp 76.5K
221.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 87.8K
$20.00 Rp 362.9K
40.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 136.7K
$19.60 Rp 355.7K
122.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 53.8K
$8.42 Rp 152.8K
104.16%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.6K
$3.08 Rp 55.9K
124.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$88.3 Rp 1.6M
802.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.5M
$7,394 Rp 134.2M
23.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 265.0K
$40.55 Rp 735.7K
108.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 181.3K
$27.32 Rp 495.8K
112.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 422.2K
$81.0 Rp 1.5M
66.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 306.2K
$60.3 Rp 1.1M
62.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$204 Rp 3.7M
492.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$141 Rp 2.6M
354.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.3M
$533 Rp 9.7M
280.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$379 Rp 6.9M
167.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.0M
$1,263 Rp 22.9M
230.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$883 Rp 16.0M
116.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tanjung Pandan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Tanjung Pandan
$141 78% $500
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Tanjung Pandan
$197 33.7% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Tanjung Pandan
$85 59.9% $127
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Tanjung Pandan
$61 64% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Tanjung Pandan
$94 44.3% $75
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Tanjung Pandan
$14 85.4% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tanjung Pandan
$26 55.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $204 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 $15 in Tanjung Pandan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $197 – making Tanjung Pandan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan
🕒 Local time
10:14 10:14 AM
22:14 10:14 PM
12 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
103,062
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 3,129 COP (10,000 COP = 3.2 USD). 1 EUR = 3,497 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tanjung Pandan 19,480 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tanjung Pandan

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 Tanjung Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tanjung Pandan cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $926 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 Tanjung Pandan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tanjung Pandan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $15 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 Tanjung Pandan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $617 in Tanjung Pandan. That’s a gap of about 166%.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Tanjung Pandan?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tanjung Pandan, where all-in costs run around $617, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tanjung Pandan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Tanjung Pandan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pandan – 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, Tanjung Pandan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 166% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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