Nomad city comparison

Bali (Canggu) vs Medellín$985 vs $1,011/mo — Bali (Canggu) is 3% cheaper

Bali (Canggu), Indonesia · Southeast Asia · budget · Medellín, Colombia · Latin America · budget

🏆 Bali (Canggu) wins on price.

Bali (Canggu) runs about 3% cheaper than Medellín for a long-term nomad month — $985 vs $1,011 once rent, food, coworking, transit, and mobile data are counted.

The single biggest gap is Airbnb rent: Bali (Canggu) runs $861 versus Medellín's $938 — a 8% difference.

On the ground, the default landing spot in Bali (Canggu) is Canggu (Berawa / Pererenan) — nomad capital. In Medellín it's El Poblado (Provenza) — nomad central.

Connectivity: in Bali (Canggu), canggu fiber is generally 100–300 Mbps but villa quality varies wildly — always ask for a Speedtest screenshot before signing. In Medellín, fiber in Poblado/Laureles is reliable at 200–500 Mbps.

Visas: Bali (Canggu) — The B211A visit visa (60 days, extendable to 180) is the practical nomad default — agent fee included usually $150–250 total. Medellín — Tourist visa gives 90 days, extendable once for another 90 (180 total per year). Worth weighing against the cost gap above.

In short: Bali (Canggu) suits nomads who want lifestyle baked in — surf before work, motorbike commutes, a constant rotation of new arrivals to befriend, while Medellín is the wrong call if anyone uncomfortable with visible class divides, or who needs to ignore basic situational awareness — Medellín is much safer than its reputation but isn't risk-free.

Side-by-side

Category	Bali (Canggu)	Medellín	Δ
Airbnb (monthly)	$861	$938	8%
Long-term lease	$548	$614	11%
Food — local	$258	$279	8%
Food — Western	$667	$600	10%
Coworking (monthly)	$157	$136	13%
Specialty coffee (cup)	$2.39	$2.16	10%
Mobile data / SIM (monthly)	$10	$14	29%
Gym — chain (monthly)	$28	$28	≈
Gym — boutique (monthly)	$75	$75	≈
Laundry per load	$1.40	$1.40	≈
Transit pass (monthly)	$90	$36	60%
Tourist visa	$35	—	≈
Nomad visa (year)	$50	$200	75%
Chicken breast (100g)	$0.61	$0.70	13%

Bali (Canggu)

Bali is two cities stapled together: Canggu's coworking-and-surfing nomad bubble, and Ubud's yoga-and-rice-paddy retreat scene. Both run on scooters, smoothie bowls, and Instagram. It's beautiful and exhausting in roughly equal measure.

Visa: The B211A visit visa (60 days, extendable to 180) is the practical nomad default — agent fee included usually $150–250 total. The much-hyped 'KITAS Nomad' (E33G) exists but adds bureaucracy and is overkill unless staying multi-year.
Internet: Canggu fiber is generally 100–300 Mbps but villa quality varies wildly — always ask for a Speedtest screenshot before signing. Ubud is more fragile; many nomads default to coworking there.
Neighborhoods: Canggu (Berawa / Pererenan) · Uluwatu · Ubud
Watch out: Scooter accidents are the #1 health-insurance claim. Helmets, no flip-flops, and don't ride at night without lights — locals know the roads, you don't.

Medellín

Medellín is Latin America's nomad darling — perfect spring weather, dense urban energy, and a remote-work scene that exploded after 2021. The cable cars and Metro give you a real city feel for under half what Mexico City costs.

Visa: Tourist visa gives 90 days, extendable once for another 90 (180 total per year). The Type V Digital Nomad Visa runs 2 years and requires ~$684/month income proof — easy bar for most working nomads.
Internet: Fiber in Poblado/Laureles is reliable at 200–500 Mbps. Older buildings can be patchy; new builds are uniformly good.
Neighborhoods: El Poblado (Provenza) · Laureles · Envigado
Watch out: Don't flash phones in unfamiliar areas, especially at night. The 'no dar papaya' rule (don't expose yourself to easy theft) isn't paranoia, it's practical.