Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tesanj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $869 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Tesanj
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Tesanj Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tesanj

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $869 in Tesanj, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Tesanj $869

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,284 in Tesanj, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Tesanj $1,284

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,699 in Tesanj, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Tesanj $1,699

Medellin costs about 87% more than Tesanj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tesanj is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$3.49 BAM 6.09

137.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$16.11 BAM 28.10

191.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$2.94 BAM 5.13

214.29%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,597

$0.89 BAM 1.55

242.70%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.40 BAM 2.45

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,346

$0.90 BAM 1.57

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$1.96 BAM 3.41

65.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$1.70 BAM 2.96

227.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,721

$0.82 BAM 1.43

82.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,446

$0.88 BAM 1.53

169.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,333

$2.44 BAM 4.26

-30.33%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,302

$3.03 BAM 5.29

-2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

$9.94 BAM 17.34

2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$7.41 BAM 12.93

31.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

$14.14 BAM 24.67

-1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$1.13 BAM 1.97

265.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$1.61 BAM 2.81

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,994

$1.42 BAM 2.47

56.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$1.60 BAM 2.79

41.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,259

$0.99 BAM 1.73

101.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,242

$1.06 BAM 1.85

57.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$1.13 BAM 1.97

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,887

$0.93 BAM 1.63

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$3.93 BAM 6.86

-1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$8.60 BAM 15.00

60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,213

$1.11 BAM 1.94

49.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,553

$1.32 BAM 2.30

81.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.30 BAM 2.27

-4.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

$1.11 BAM 1.93

15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$0.56 BAM 0.97

283.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

$10.24 BAM 17.87

-18.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

$1.52 BAM 2.66

-11.18%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

$31.0K BAM 54.0K

12.31%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$21.8K BAM 38.0K

59.40%

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

$167 COP 524.1K

$91.4 BAM 159

82.29%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$18.51 BAM 32.29

-26.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$28.34 BAM 49.44

2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

$32.73 BAM 57.1

37.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

$28.51 BAM 49.73

-39.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

$2.88 BAM 5.02

142.01%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$135 BAM 235

485.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

$3,917 BAM 6,833

130.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$57.7 BAM 101

52.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.9K

$32.02 BAM 55.9

81.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.1K

$94.0 BAM 164

47.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$131 BAM 229

-24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$345 BAM 602

198.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$248 BAM 433

149.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$519 BAM 906

262.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$366 BAM 639

175.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$2,462 BAM 4,296

61.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,757 BAM 3,065

-3.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$686 BAM 1,197

-3.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.3

154.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Tesanj

$248 28.6% 60% $371

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Tesanj

$223 25.7% 25% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Tesanj

$138 15.9% 34% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Tesanj

$142 16.3% 18% $31

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Tesanj

$70 8% 59.1% $101

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Tesanj

$9.1 * 1.1% 90.4% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Tesanj

$38 4.4% 34.8% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $345 in Tesanj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Tesanj, 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 $16 in Tesanj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $223 – making Tesanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

03:39 3:39 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,500

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3,145 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Tesanj 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tesanj

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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,303 in Tesanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tesanj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $1,028 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Tesanj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Tesanj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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