Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ubud, Bali

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Ubud, Bali $3,260

Medellin costs about 18% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Ubud, Bali sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Ubud, Bali by 1%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.3K
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
138.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 147.1K
$35.18 Rp 629.4K
31.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.3K
$5.80 Rp 103.8K
63.79%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,920
$2.73 Rp 48.8K
13.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,832
$1.64 Rp 29.4K
11.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,384
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
66.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,725
$2.70 Rp 48.3K
12.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.5K
$4.30 Rp 76.9K
27.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,625
$1.50 Rp 26.9K
-3.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,537
$2.30 Rp 41.1K
2.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,358
$1.18 Rp 21.1K
42.37%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,127
$2.14 Rp 38.4K
33.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.5K
$17.48 Rp 312.7K
-41.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.4K
$4.03 Rp 72.1K
136.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.8K
$12.23 Rp 218.8K
14.80%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 13.0K
$3.55 Rp 63.5K
14.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,768
$1.57 Rp 28.1K
-4.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,929
$2.24 Rp 40.0K
-3.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,350
$1.93 Rp 34.5K
19.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,147
$1.88 Rp 33.7K
2.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,224
$2.29 Rp 41.0K
-28.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,590
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
14.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,976
$0.53 Rp 9,418
135.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.7K
$2.28 Rp 40.9K
75.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.6K
$23.01 Rp 411.7K
-41.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,413
$2.34 Rp 41.9K
-27.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,566
$2.91 Rp 52.1K
-18.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,848
$0.24 Rp 4,289
404.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 243.9K
$8.82 Rp 157.8K
767.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,202
$0.48 Rp 8,632
175.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,811
$0.46 Rp 8,183
365.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 27.0K
$5.45 Rp 97.6K
55.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,137
$0.88 Rp 15.8K
47.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 89.2M
$24.6K Rp 439.5M
13.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.9M
$31.2K Rp 558.0M
13.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 548.6K
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
107.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.6K
$6.45 Rp 115.3K
107.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.6K
$18.57 Rp 332.2K
54.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 144.2K
$55.8 Rp 998.7K
-18.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.3K
$18.11 Rp 324.0K
-5.91%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 20.0K
$4.38 Rp 78.4K
43.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.5M
$493 Rp 8.8M
56.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.7M
$5,754 Rp 102.9M
56.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 275.5K
$46.19 Rp 826.5K
87.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 182.1K
$35.33 Rp 632.2K
61.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 435.3K
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
72.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 312.1K
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
24.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.4M
$1,142 Rp 20.4M
-7.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$676 Rp 12.1M
-8.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$3,503 Rp 62.7M
-45.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.3M
$1,700 Rp 30.4M
-39.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,784 Rp 49.8M
45.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.4M
$2,241 Rp 40.1M
-25.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$165 Rp 2.9M
296.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
13.78
-20.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Ubud, Bali
$676 9.7% $60
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Ubud, Bali
$290 1.4% $4.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Ubud, Bali
$108 49.6% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Ubud, Bali
$108 36.8% $63
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Ubud, Bali
$109 35.4% $60
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Ubud, Bali
$13 86.6% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Ubud, Bali
$65 11.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. 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 296% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $290 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
17:57 5:57 PM
06:57 6:57 AM
13 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,568 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 17,892 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,022 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Ubud, Bali 18,790 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Ubud, Bali

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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. 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 Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. 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 Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 18%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Ubud, Bali more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Ubud, Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. 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.

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