Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neum and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Neum: $955 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Neum
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$955
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neum and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Neum and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $955 per month in Neum vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Neum $955
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Neum vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Neum $1,410
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Neum vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Neum $1,866
  • Medellin $3,190

Neum is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Neum sits 29% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.29 BAM 9.24
$7.93 COP 25.3K
-33.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.98 BAM 54.1
$46.13 COP 147.1K
-32.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.67 BAM 9.91
$9.50 COP 30.3K
-40.32%
Cappuccino
$1.90 BAM 3.32
$3.11 COP 9,920
-38.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 BAM 3.33
$1.83 COP 5,832
3.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 BAM 2.07
$1.38 COP 4,384
-14.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.52 BAM 4.41
$3.05 COP 9,725
-17.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 BAM 3.83
$5.50 COP 17.5K
-60.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 BAM 1.96
$1.45 COP 4,625
-22.76%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 BAM 1.65
$2.36 COP 7,537
-59.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.07 BAM 3.62
$1.68 COP 5,358
23.21%
Eggs
$2.57 BAM 4.48
$2.86 COP 9,127
-10.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.88 BAM 13.77
$10.19 COP 32.5K
-22.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.37 BAM 12.87
$9.53 COP 30.4K
-22.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.39 BAM 18.15
$14.04 COP 44.8K
-26.00%
Apples (1kg)
$1.12 BAM 1.96
$4.07 COP 13.0K
-72.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 BAM 2.83
$1.50 COP 4,768
8.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.36 BAM 2.37
$2.17 COP 6,929
-37.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 BAM 2.09
$2.31 COP 7,350
-48.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 BAM 1.72
$1.93 COP 6,147
-49.22%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 BAM 1.72
$1.64 COP 5,224
-39.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 BAM 1.32
$1.13 COP 3,590
-32.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 BAM 1.24
$1.25 COP 3,976
-43.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.93 BAM 6.86
$3.99 COP 12.7K
-1.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.99 BAM 6.96
$13.35 COP 42.6K
-70.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 BAM 1.36
$1.70 COP 5,413
-54.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 BAM 1.55
$2.37 COP 7,566
-62.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Neum
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.27 BAM 2.21
$1.21 COP 3,848
4.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.4 BAM 100
$76.5 COP 243.9K
-24.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 BAM 3.05
$1.32 COP 4,202
31.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 BAM 1.04
$2.14 COP 6,811
-71.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.79 BAM 10.11
$8.47 COP 27.0K
-31.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 BAM 2.70
$1.30 COP 4,137
19.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BAM 52.2K
$28.0K COP 89.2M
6.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K BAM 37.3K
$35.4K COP 112.9M
-39.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$135 BAM 237
$172 COP 548.6K
-21.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.64 BAM 30.82
$13.37 COP 42.6K
31.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.86 BAM 45.18
$28.73 COP 91.6K
-9.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.47 BAM 56.7
$45.24 COP 144.2K
-28.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.52 BAM 20.13
$17.04 COP 54.3K
-32.39%
Cinema Ticket
$5.74 BAM 10.02
$6.28 COP 20.0K
-8.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 BAM 346
$770 COP 2.5M
-74.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,317 BAM 4,048
$9,011 COP 28.7M
-74.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.4 BAM 104
$86.4 COP 275.5K
-31.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.42 BAM 58.4
$57.1 COP 182.1K
-41.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.8 BAM 150
$137 COP 435.3K
-37.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.3 BAM 146
$97.9 COP 312.1K
-14.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Neum
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$345 BAM 603
$1,055 COP 3.4M
-67.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$248 BAM 433
$616 COP 2.0M
-59.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 BAM 884
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-73.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$355 BAM 620
$1,023 COP 3.3M
-65.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 BAM 4,210
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-40.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,786 BAM 3,120
$1,678 COP 5.4M
6.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Neum
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$847 BAM 1,480
$652 COP 2.1M
29.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
10.94
-73.49%

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

Last update for Neum: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Neum
$248
Medellin
$616 149% $368
Groceries & Markets
Neum
$188
Medellin
$295 57% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neum
$179
Medellin
$214 19.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Neum
$118
Medellin
$170 44.3% $52
Eating Out
Neum
$112
Medellin
$168 51% $57
Getting Around
Neum
$67
Medellin
$93 38.9% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Neum
$44
Medellin
$58 31.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $345 in Neum versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 30% higher in Neum, 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 $31.00 in Neum versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $295 – making Neum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇦 Neum
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
07:14 7:14 AM
00:14 12:14 AM
7 h behind Neum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,200
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,568 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Neum Medellin 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Neum
  • Medellin

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
Neum vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Neum?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,432 per month in Neum and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 Neum, 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 Neum or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Neum and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Neum and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $955 in Neum and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 69%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Neum or in Medellin?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Neum, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Neum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Neum or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Neum – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Neum or Medellin?
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 Neum. 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.

Neum vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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