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: $1,217 in Belize City versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,782 in Belize City versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,346 in Belize City versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Belize City costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belize City is 11% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 BZD 12.94

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-19.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 BZD 100

$47.87 COP 149.4K

4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 BZD 19.10

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-3.44%

Cappuccino

$3.60 BZD 7.19

$3.13 COP 9,767

15.02%

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

$1.74 BZD 3.47

$1.91 COP 5,954

-8.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 BZD 2.90

$1.51 COP 4,712

-3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 BZD 5.20

$3.12 COP 9,747

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 BZD 6.15

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-46.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 BZD 5.37

$1.44 COP 4,509

86.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 BZD 4.84

$2.49 COP 7,759

-2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 BZD 6.46

$1.77 COP 5,535

82.49%

Eggs

$3.45 BZD 6.90

$2.96 COP 9,235

16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 BZD 13.25

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-34.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 BZD 15.89

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 BZD 15.44

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-46.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 BZD 6.49

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-21.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 BZD 3.04

$1.61 COP 5,019

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 BZD 5.05

$2.25 COP 7,007

12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 BZD 7.93

$2.25 COP 7,028

76.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 BZD 7.66

$2.04 COP 6,375

87.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 BZD 5.02

$1.54 COP 4,790

62.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 BZD 4.57

$1.17 COP 3,651

95.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BZD 2.32

$1.31 COP 4,077

-11.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 BZD 10.08

$3.90 COP 12.2K

29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 BZD 19.72

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-29.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 BZD 5.17

$1.74 COP 5,439

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 BZD 6.71

$2.87 COP 8,956

16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 BZD 5.43

$1.22 COP 3,792

122.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 BZD 8.85

$1.31 COP 4,084

237.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 BZD 4.81

$1.37 COP 4,260

75.91%

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

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

-61.59%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$366 BZD 733

$177 COP 553.2K

106.60%

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

$49.01 BZD 98.0

$13.88 COP 43.3K

253.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.30 BZD 92.6

$29.72 COP 92.8K

55.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.66 BZD 49.33

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.43 BZD 4.86

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-85.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 BZD 9.77

$6.65 COP 20.7K

-26.47%

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

$65.0 BZD 130

$813 COP 2.5M

-92.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$674 BZD 1,348

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-92.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.89 BZD 73.8

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-58.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 BZD 49.91

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-57.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.2 BZD 110

$138 COP 431.2K

-60.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.01 BZD 74.0

$102 COP 318.7K

-63.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 BZD 696

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-67.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 BZD 386

$663 COP 2.1M

-70.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 BZD 1,120

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-70.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 BZD 658

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-67.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$202 BZD 404

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-95.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$847 BZD 1,695

$678 COP 2.1M

25.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

10.94

5.12%

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

Last update for Belize City: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Belize City and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Belize City vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $305, with Belize City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $348 in Belize City versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,217 per month in Belize City versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,217 in Belize City versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belize City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Belize City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Belize City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,217 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Belize City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Belize City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.