Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarinda and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarinda: $647 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Samarinda
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Samarinda Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Samarinda

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$647

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $647 per month in Samarinda vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Samarinda $647
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,021 per month in Samarinda vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Samarinda $1,021
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,395 per month in Samarinda vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Samarinda $1,395
Medellin $3,190

Samarinda is about 60% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Samarinda sits 52% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-78.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.69 Rp 246.4K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-70.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 Rp 60.2K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-64.74%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$3.11 COP 9,866

-50.80%

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

$0.44 Rp 7,903

$1.83 COP 5,800

-75.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,499

$1.38 COP 4,360

-81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$3.05 COP 9,672

-25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$1.45 COP 4,600

-26.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$2.36 COP 7,496

-64.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

$1.68 COP 5,328

-57.74%

Eggs

$1.40 Rp 25.3K

$2.86 COP 9,077

-51.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 Rp 129.9K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-29.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 65.0K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-62.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 Rp 180.7K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-28.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 Rp 92.4K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.50 COP 4,742

-26.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.5K

$2.17 COP 6,891

-49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

$2.31 COP 7,310

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.93 COP 6,113

-31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$1.64 COP 5,196

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Rp 13.6K

$1.13 COP 3,571

-33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,097

$1.25 COP 3,954

-59.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 Rp 37.4K

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-47.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.04 Rp 378.7K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

57.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 Rp 28.8K

$1.70 COP 5,384

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$2.37 COP 7,525

6.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,403

$1.21 COP 3,827

-75.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,935

$1.32 COP 4,179

-62.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 Rp 6,183

$2.14 COP 6,774

-84.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 Rp 48.0K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-68.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.30 COP 4,114

-37.69%

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

$26.8K Rp 482.4M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-4.24%

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

$31.1K Rp 559.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-12.28%

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

$67.2 Rp 1.2M

$172 COP 545.6K

-60.93%

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

$4.75 Rp 85.5K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-64.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.78 Rp 338.0K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-34.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 Rp 354.9K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-56.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 Rp 160.9K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-47.54%

Cinema Ticket

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-56.21%

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

$89.9 Rp 1.6M

$770 COP 2.4M

-88.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,095 Rp 145.7M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-10.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.77 Rp 859.9K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.33 Rp 582.0K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-43.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 Rp 1.4M

$137 COP 432.9K

-43.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 Rp 3.5M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-81.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$616 COP 2.0M

-76.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 Rp 8.8M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 Rp 6.1M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-66.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,107 Rp 19.9M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-72.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$730 Rp 13.1M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-56.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 Rp 6.0M

$652 COP 2.1M

-48.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

10.94

-13.53%

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

Last update for Samarinda: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Samarinda

$213 32.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 38.4% $82

Accommodation & Living

Samarinda

$148 22.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 317% $468

Clothing & Footwear

Samarinda

$104 16.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 63.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samarinda

$91 14%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 136% $123

Eating Out

Samarinda

$63 9.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 167% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Samarinda

$25 3.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 129% $33

Getting Around

Samarinda

$3.4 * 0.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 2637% $90

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $195 in Samarinda 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 94% 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 $14.00 in Samarinda versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $295 – making Samarinda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Samarinda

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

19:15 7:15 PM

13 h behind Samarinda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

726,223

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samarinda Medellin 18,460 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Samarinda
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

Samarinda vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Samarinda and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarinda, 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 $14.00 in Samarinda and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samarinda, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Samarinda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Samarinda. 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.