Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tanjung Pinang

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pinang: $627 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Tanjung Pinang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$627
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $627 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Tanjung Pinang $627

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $993 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Tanjung Pinang $993

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,360 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Tanjung Pinang $1,360

Medellin costs about 162% more than Tanjung Pinang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tanjung Pinang is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.3K
$3.23 Rp 58.6K
150.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 147.2K
$13.61 Rp 247.0K
245.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.7K
$3.59 Rp 65.1K
164.62%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,433
$1.68 Rp 30.4K
79.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,629
$0.50 Rp 9,160
260.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,419
$0.24 Rp 4,368
487.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,935
$2.12 Rp 38.5K
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.0K
$3.15 Rp 57.2K
82.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,724
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
34.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,439
$1.13 Rp 20.6K
110.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,542
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
108.24%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,043
$1.40 Rp 25.4K
106.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 31.9K
$8.11 Rp 147.1K
25.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 30.9K
$2.86 Rp 51.9K
245.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 43.8K
$6.54 Rp 118.7K
113.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.4K
$1.96 Rp 35.5K
102.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,856
$1.43 Rp 26.0K
8.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,829
$1.53 Rp 27.8K
42.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,832
$1.06 Rp 19.2K
105.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,140
$1.21 Rp 21.9K
61.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 4,973
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
-14.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,584
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
41.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,889
$0.45 Rp 8,129
175.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.4K
$2.66 Rp 48.3K
48.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 42.8K
$22.41 Rp 406.7K
-38.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,193
$2.02 Rp 36.7K
-17.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,064
$3.01 Rp 54.7K
-24.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,654
$0.24 Rp 4,421
387.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 242.1K
$10.54 Rp 191.3K
634.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,967
$0.45 Rp 8,142
182.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,406
$0.29 Rp 5,333
606.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.8K
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
187.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,214
$0.68 Rp 12.4K
98.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 106.6M
$22.4K Rp 405.9M
52.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 108.5M
$28.3K Rp 512.8M
22.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 530.8K
$57.5 Rp 1.0M
194.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.4K
$4.43 Rp 80.4K
205.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 87.8K
$21.46 Rp 389.4K
30.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 136.7K
$17.94 Rp 325.5K
143.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 53.8K
$8.29 Rp 150.5K
107.36%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.6K
$2.78 Rp 50.5K
148.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$85.8 Rp 1.6M
828.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.5M
$8,696 Rp 157.8M
4.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 265.0K
$45.43 Rp 824.3K
86.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 181.3K
$25.84 Rp 468.9K
124.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 422.2K
$80.5 Rp 1.5M
67.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 306.2K
$77.3 Rp 1.4M
26.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$247 Rp 4.5M
388.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$130 Rp 2.4M
393.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.3M
$569 Rp 10.3M
256.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$318 Rp 5.8M
218.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.0M
$1,316 Rp 23.9M
216.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$827 Rp 15.0M
131.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$195 Rp 3.5M
237.67%
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 Pinang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Tanjung Pinang
$130 79.7% $511
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Tanjung Pinang
$196 33.9% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Tanjung Pinang
$83 60.5% $128
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Tanjung Pinang
$77 54.8% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Tanjung Pinang
$103 39% $66
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Tanjung Pinang
$13 85.6% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tanjung Pinang
$24 59.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $247 in Tanjung Pinang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $14 in Tanjung Pinang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $196 – making Tanjung Pinang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇩 Tanjung Pinang
🕒 Local time
12:09 12:09 PM
00:09 12:09 AM
12 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
239,854
💱 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 Pinang 19,220 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tanjung Pinang

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 Pinang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tanjung Pinang cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 162%, 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $940 in Tanjung Pinang. 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 Pinang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tanjung Pinang?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $14 in Tanjung Pinang. 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 Pinang?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $627 in Tanjung Pinang. That’s a gap of about 162%.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Tanjung Pinang?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tanjung Pinang, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tanjung Pinang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Tanjung Pinang more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pinang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Tanjung Pinang. 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.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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