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: $1,085 in Belize City versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,646 in Belize City versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,206 in Belize City versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Belize City is roughly 7% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belize City 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 BZD 12.39

$5.99 COP 21.4K

3.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.07 BZD 78.2

$32.86 COP 117.4K

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 BZD 11.66

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-17.77%

Cappuccino

$3.58 BZD 7.15

$1.71 COP 6,115

109.36%

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

$1.35 BZD 2.71

$1.10 COP 3,924

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 BZD 2.59

$0.78 COP 2,781

65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 BZD 4.46

$1.68 COP 5,997

32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 BZD 7.20

$3.07 COP 11.0K

17.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 BZD 6.37

$1.09 COP 3,906

191.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BZD 2.49

$1.26 COP 4,508

-1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 BZD 4.36

$1.38 COP 4,922

57.97%

Eggs

$2.42 BZD 4.85

$2.19 COP 7,827

10.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 BZD 14.21

$4.40 COP 15.7K

61.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 BZD 13.30

$5.63 COP 20.1K

18.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 BZD 11.19

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-37.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 BZD 7.83

$2.34 COP 8,349

67.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$1.06 COP 3,777

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 BZD 4.21

$1.50 COP 5,374

40.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 BZD 6.04

$1.38 COP 4,924

118.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 BZD 5.74

$1.15 COP 4,111

149.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 BZD 4.74

$1.16 COP 4,155

104.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 BZD 4.51

$0.89 COP 3,182

153.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 BZD 1.89

$0.84 COP 2,997

11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 BZD 7.73

$2.28 COP 8,145

69.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 BZD 22.18

$10.64 COP 38.0K

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 BZD 3.62

$1.20 COP 4,284

50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 BZD 6.60

$2.47 COP 8,824

33.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 BZD 4.06

$0.86 COP 3,056

136.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 BZD 39.46

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-52.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 BZD 7.88

$1.47 COP 5,264

168.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.08 BZD 8.16

$1.96 COP 7,009

108.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 BZD 3.76

$0.95 COP 3,409

97.89%

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

$10.4K BZD 20.7K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

-42.84%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

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

$206 BZD 412

$82.3 COP 293.7K

150.57%

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

$50.2 BZD 100

$9.50 COP 33.9K

428.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 BZD 110

$24.23 COP 86.5K

127.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 BZD 56.4

$25.89 COP 92.4K

8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.45 BZD 4.90

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-87.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 BZD 16.40

$3.93 COP 14.0K

108.65%

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

$65.5 BZD 131

$309 COP 1.1M

-78.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$677 BZD 1,355

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-88.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.00 BZD 74.0

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-36.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.92 BZD 53.8

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 BZD 162

$103 COP 366.4K

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 BZD 177

$108 COP 387.2K

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 BZD 553

$476 COP 1.7M

-41.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 BZD 365

$379 COP 1.4M

-51.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 BZD 1,239

$838 COP 3.0M

-26.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 BZD 691

$724 COP 2.6M

-52.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$202 BZD 405

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-92.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,204 BZD 2,409

$512 COP 1.8M

135.33%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Belize City and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 135% 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 $257 vs $188 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 7% 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.

Belize City pays 135% more on average, 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: $277 in Belize City versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,085 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 $1,013 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 7% less than in Belize City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.