Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $850 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$850

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Apia versus $1,692 in Medellin.

Apia $850
Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,289 in Apia versus $2,471 in Medellin.

Apia $2,289
Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Apia versus $3,249 in Medellin.

Apia $3,728
Medellin $3,249

Living in Apia costs roughly 50% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apia is 37% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$46.83 WST 130

$8.34 COP 26.8K

461.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.74 WST 99.4

$46.53 COP 149.7K

-23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 WST 40.22

$9.47 COP 30.5K

52.69%

Cappuccino

$2.94 WST 8.17

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-6.07%

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

$1.79 WST 4.99

$1.77 COP 5,681

1.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 WST 3.89

$1.42 COP 4,582

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 WST 9.79

$3.15 COP 10.1K

11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 WST 10.36

$5.70 COP 18.3K

-34.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 WST 4.96

$1.53 COP 4,930

16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 WST 2.37

$2.29 COP 7,370

-62.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$1.94 COP 6,257

-5.67%

Eggs

$4.30 WST 11.95

$3.07 COP 9,864

40.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.93 WST 2.60

$9.99 COP 32.1K

-90.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 WST 9.94

$10.45 COP 33.6K

-65.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 WST 22.61

$13.96 COP 44.9K

-41.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 WST 14.08

$4.05 COP 13.0K

24.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.18

$1.53 COP 4,916

21.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 WST 5.13

$2.10 COP 6,769

-12.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 WST 12.33

$2.29 COP 7,378

93.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 WST 10.31

$2.11 COP 6,785

75.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$1.71 COP 5,498

-38.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,764

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 WST 3.41

$1.58 COP 5,083

-22.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 WST 17.46

$3.91 COP 12.6K

60.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.68 WST 46.39

$14.04 COP 45.2K

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 WST 4.94

$1.76 COP 5,667

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 WST 10.41

$2.71 COP 8,724

38.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 WST 10.19

$1.18 COP 3,795

210.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 245.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 WST 15.51

$1.81 COP 5,812

208.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.07

$2.13 COP 6,849

154.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.23 WST 61.8

$8.13 COP 26.2K

173.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.96

$1.28 COP 4,102

-17.19%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

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

$17.96 WST 49.93

$178 COP 571.7K

-89.89%

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

$18.09 WST 50.3

$13.89 COP 44.7K

30.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 WST 99.6

$30.74 COP 98.9K

16.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 134.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.0K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 277.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 190.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 445.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 317.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 WST 4,905

$1,033 COP 3.3M

70.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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 Apia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $36 in Apia vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $307 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

18:17 6:17 PM

18 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.36 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.36 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Apia Medellin 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Apia
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

Apia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,275 in Apia and $2,538 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $850 per month in Apia versus $1,692 in Medellin – Apia is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Apia is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.