Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $477 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$477

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pontianak 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 Pontianak and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $477 per month in Pontianak vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Pontianak $477
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $594 per month in Pontianak vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Pontianak $594
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $710 per month in Pontianak vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Pontianak $710
Medellin $3,249

Pontianak is about 72% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pontianak sits 65% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 Rp 31.3K

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-79.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.33 Rp 151.3K

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-82.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-69.69%

Cappuccino

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-61.98%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,919

$1.77 COP 5,727

-72.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,810

$1.42 COP 4,619

-85.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 49.0K

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 Rp 63.6K

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-38.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$1.53 COP 4,969

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

$2.29 COP 7,429

-40.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

$1.94 COP 6,306

-49.48%

Eggs

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$3.07 COP 9,942

-53.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 Rp 58.8K

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-69.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 Rp 56.6K

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.6K

$1.53 COP 4,956

24.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

$2.10 COP 6,823

4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,445

$1.58 COP 5,123

-67.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.33 Rp 405.3K

$14.04 COP 45.5K

59.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.76 COP 5,712

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 Rp 38.3K

$2.71 COP 8,793

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,291

$1.18 COP 3,825

-75.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

$1.28 COP 4,135

-43.75%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

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

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

$178 COP 576.3K

-60.49%

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

$5.39 Rp 97.8K

$13.89 COP 45.0K

-61.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.93 Rp 398.1K

$30.74 COP 99.7K

-28.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.39 Rp 424.6K

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-44.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 Rp 210.0K

$16.80 COP 54.5K

-31.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.61 Rp 65.5K

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-51.67%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.74 Rp 612.5K

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-60.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 Rp 607.2K

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-43.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-87.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 Rp 2.0M

$667 COP 2.2M

-83.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 Rp 4.8M

$646 COP 2.1M

-59.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.59%

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

Last update for Pontianak: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Groceries & Markets

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Eating Out

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Getting Around

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Pontianak

–

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $164 in Pontianak versus $1,341 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 in Medellin are about 2.5 times higher, 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 $8 in Pontianak versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $307 – making Pontianak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

12 h behind Pontianak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,440

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,353 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pontianak Medellin 19,130 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Pontianak
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

Pontianak vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 255%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $716 per month in Pontianak and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pontianak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $164 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Pontianak and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pontianak, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Pontianak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Pontianak to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pontianak. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.