Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibolga and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibolga: $632 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Sibolga
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Sibolga Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sibolga

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$632

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $632 per month in Sibolga vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sibolga $632
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,015 per month in Sibolga vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sibolga $1,015
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,397 per month in Sibolga vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sibolga $1,397
Medellin $3,186

Sibolga is about 61% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sibolga sits 54% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-82.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.92 Rp 214.9K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-74.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.41 Rp 61.5K

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-64.11%

Cappuccino

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

$3.01 COP 9,485

-43.85%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,562

$1.80 COP 5,660

-76.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,776

$1.41 COP 4,443

-85.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 Rp 36.0K

$3.18 COP 9,990

-37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 Rp 58.7K

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-43.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 Rp 23.6K

$1.51 COP 4,751

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$2.38 COP 7,480

-59.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$1.77 COP 5,573

-48.02%

Eggs

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$2.89 COP 9,093

-46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 Rp 142.7K

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-22.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-74.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.57 Rp 154.5K

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-38.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 Rp 44.3K

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-38.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$1.55 COP 4,883

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$2.18 COP 6,867

-32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

$2.18 COP 6,870

-47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.9K

$1.96 COP 6,174

-37.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.59 COP 5,000

11.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

$1.15 COP 3,604

-38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,196

$1.24 COP 3,911

-67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 Rp 54.5K

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-23.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.27 Rp 383.4K

$13.68 COP 43.0K

55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 Rp 30.0K

$1.66 COP 5,222

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 Rp 59.7K

$2.26 COP 7,104

46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 Rp 4,962

$1.17 COP 3,674

-76.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.91 Rp 232.7K

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-83.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,625

$1.27 COP 3,989

-58.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,750

$2.05 COP 6,442

-81.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 Rp 47.6K

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-69.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

$1.35 COP 4,237

-33.33%

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

$20.4K Rp 367.3M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-40.18%

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

$32.3K Rp 581.7M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-6.92%

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

$60.5 Rp 1.1M

$170 COP 533.7K

-64.36%

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

$4.90 Rp 88.3K

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-63.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.04 Rp 307.1K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-39.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.72 Rp 319.4K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-59.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 Rp 143.8K

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-53.58%

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 Rp 46.5K

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-62.66%

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

$100 Rp 1.8M

$797 COP 2.5M

-87.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,753 Rp 157.8M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-3.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.65 Rp 678.7K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-55.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.73 Rp 445.8K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-57.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 Rp 1.5M

$135 COP 424.6K

-37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 Rp 3.6M

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-83.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 Rp 2.7M

$642 COP 2.0M

-76.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 Rp 9.3M

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-74.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 Rp 7.0M

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-61.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,209 Rp 21.8M

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-71.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$853 Rp 15.4M

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-55.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 Sibolga: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sibolga

$199 31.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 48.9% $98

Accommodation & Living

Sibolga

$150 23.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 327% $491

Clothing & Footwear

Sibolga

$100 15.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 69.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibolga

$82 13%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 156% $129

Eating Out

Sibolga

$61 9.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 178% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Sibolga

$23 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 151% $35

Getting Around

Sibolga

$16 2.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 470% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $200 in Sibolga versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Sibolga versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $297 – making Sibolga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Sibolga

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

13:42 1:42 PM

12 h behind Sibolga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,471

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,066 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sibolga Medellin 18,930 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibolga
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

Sibolga vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 159%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $948 per month in Sibolga and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sibolga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $200 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Sibolga and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $632 in Sibolga and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 159%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sibolga, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sibolga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Sibolga is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 159% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.