Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/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 $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Medellin costs about 20% 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 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

156.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

62.11%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

16.41%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

70.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

27.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

8.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

44.07%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

157.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

16.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

18.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

11.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

18.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.53 Rp 9,509

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

69.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-19.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.23 Rp 4,112

439.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

778.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.47 Rp 8,466

172.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.43 Rp 7,737

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

53.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

62.65%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

45.59%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

5.80%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

108.34%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

107.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

56.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-6.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

64.00%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$493 Rp 8.9M

60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

61.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

92.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

66.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

78.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$673 Rp 12.1M

-7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-47.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

46.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-24.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$166 Rp 3.0M

298.71%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 8.6% $53

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 3.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 49.8% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 38.3% $66

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 37.7% $64

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 86.9% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 6.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,131 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 299% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $287 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

16:47 4:47 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

74,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 20%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

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.