Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarija and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarija: $404 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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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Tarija

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$404

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $404 per month in Tarija vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Tarija $404
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $466 per month in Tarija vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Tarija $466
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $528 per month in Tarija vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Tarija $528
Medellin $3,186

Tarija is about 75% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tarija sits 70% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 BOB 25.83

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-73.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.54 BOB 91.1

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-83.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.52 BOB 42.52

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-62.95%

Cappuccino

$1.30 BOB 15.66

$3.01 COP 9,734

-56.81%

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

$0.94 BOB 11.37

$1.80 COP 5,809

-47.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 BOB 7.91

$1.41 COP 4,560

-53.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 BOB 15.58

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-59.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BOB 20.22

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-70.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.42 BOB 5.13

$1.51 COP 4,875

-72.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 BOB 8.37

$2.38 COP 7,677

-71.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.49 BOB 5.87

$1.77 COP 5,719

-72.32%

Eggs

$1.63 BOB 19.71

$2.89 COP 9,332

-43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 BOB 35.39

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-71.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 BOB 30.11

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-74.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.82 BOB 46.07

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-72.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 BOB 12.38

$1.55 COP 5,011

-33.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.26 BOB 3.15

$1.15 COP 3,698

-77.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BOB 8.52

$1.24 COP 4,014

-42.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$2.12 BOB 25.59

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-84.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BOB 13.96

$1.66 COP 5,359

-30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 BOB 9.83

$2.26 COP 7,290

-64.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 BOB 2.03

$1.17 COP 3,770

-85.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.43 BOB 5.19

$1.27 COP 4,094

-66.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 BOB 6.87

$2.05 COP 6,611

-72.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 BOB 35.00

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 BOB 6.96

$1.35 COP 4,348

-57.04%

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

$11.4K BOB 137.4K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-66.58%

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

$15.4K BOB 186.1K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-55.54%

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

$20.96 BOB 253

$170 COP 547.7K

-87.65%

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

$17.61 BOB 213

$13.55 COP 43.7K

29.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.17 BOB 243

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-28.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.59 BOB 248

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-52.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.82 BOB 46.15

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-44.72%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.52 BOB 308

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-69.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.54 BOB 357

$135 COP 435.7K

-78.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 BOB 2,419

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-83.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 BOB 1,804

$642 COP 2.1M

-76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Tarija: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tarija

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Tarija

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tarija

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Tarija

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Tarija

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Tarija

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Tarija

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $200 in Tarija 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 $8 in Tarija versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $80 vs $297 – making Tarija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Tarija

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

1 h behind Tarija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,241

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.29 USD

100 BOB = 7.42 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 12.07 BOB (100 BOB = 8.29 USD). 1 EUR = 13.47 BOB (100 BOB = 7.42 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tarija Medellin 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tarija
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

Tarija vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 305%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $607 per month in Tarija 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 Tarija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $200 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 273% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tarija, where all-in costs run around $404, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tarija 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 $404 in Tarija to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.