Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Belize City versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,657 in Belize City versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,238 in Belize City versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Belize City is roughly 4% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belize City 19% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 BZD 12.67

$6.16 COP 20.1K

2.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.37 BZD 78.8

$32.60 COP 106.1K

20.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 BZD 11.75

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-20.03%

Cappuccino

$3.69 BZD 7.38

$1.72 COP 5,600

114.53%

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

$1.35 BZD 2.70

$1.05 COP 3,420

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 BZD 2.56

$0.77 COP 2,515

66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 BZD 4.43

$1.69 COP 5,488

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 BZD 6.98

$3.17 COP 10.3K

10.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.19 BZD 6.38

$1.05 COP 3,423

203.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 BZD 2.54

$1.30 COP 4,236

-2.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 BZD 4.48

$1.40 COP 4,544

60.00%

Eggs

$2.33 BZD 4.66

$2.16 COP 7,047

7.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 BZD 14.35

$4.39 COP 14.3K

63.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.61 BZD 13.23

$5.88 COP 19.1K

12.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.58 BZD 11.17

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-35.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 BZD 7.46

$2.28 COP 7,426

63.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 BZD 2.91

$1.11 COP 3,604

30.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 BZD 4.19

$1.53 COP 4,983

36.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 BZD 5.98

$1.35 COP 4,410

121.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 BZD 5.98

$1.13 COP 3,674

164.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 BZD 4.77

$1.13 COP 3,692

110.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 BZD 4.32

$0.85 COP 2,753

154.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 BZD 1.71

$0.91 COP 2,975

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 BZD 7.98

$2.34 COP 7,630

70.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 BZD 20.18

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 BZD 3.58

$1.20 COP 3,909

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 BZD 6.51

$2.49 COP 8,104

30.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 BZD 3.94

$0.84 COP 2,728

134.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.17 BZD 40.34

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-50.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 BZD 8.18

$1.42 COP 4,623

188.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 BZD 7.79

$1.92 COP 6,235

102.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 BZD 3.75

$0.99 COP 3,223

88.89%

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

$10.5K BZD 21.0K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

-41.84%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

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

$209 BZD 417

$80.8 COP 263.1K

158.14%

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

$49.60 BZD 99.2

$9.95 COP 32.4K

398.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 BZD 108

$24.18 COP 78.7K

123.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.19 BZD 56.4

$25.08 COP 81.7K

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.52 BZD 5.04

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-86.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.28 BZD 16.57

$3.98 COP 13.0K

108.04%

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

$63.7 BZD 127

$305 COP 993.5K

-79.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$681 BZD 1,362

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-88.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.29 BZD 74.6

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-35.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.98 BZD 54.0

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 BZD 164

$101 COP 327.9K

-18.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 BZD 177

$108 COP 350.8K

-18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 BZD 556

$477 COP 1.6M

-41.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 BZD 360

$376 COP 1.2M

-52.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 BZD 1,225

$845 COP 2.7M

-27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 BZD 705

$730 COP 2.4M

-51.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$197 BZD 394

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-93.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,231 BZD 2,463

$617 COP 2.0M

99.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.83

13.43

2.98%

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

Last update for Belize City: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Belize City and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 100% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Belize City vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Belize City vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Belize City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Belize City versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $39.00 in Belize City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,076 in Belize City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Belize City. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Belize City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.