Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Castries: $1,448 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Castries
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Castries Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,448

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,448 per month in Castries vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Castries $1,448
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,377 per month in Castries vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Castries $2,377
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Castries vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Castries $3,307
Medellin $3,186

Castries is about 12% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Castries and Medellin sit above the global median – Castries by 6%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 EC$25.21

$8.09 COP 26.1K

15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 EC$198

$47.05 COP 151.7K

55.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 EC$22.56

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-12.00%

Cappuccino

$3.73 EC$10.06

$3.01 COP 9,722

23.92%

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

$2.00 EC$5.39

$1.80 COP 5,801

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 EC$2.69

$1.41 COP 4,554

-29.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 EC$7.45

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 EC$8.89

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-42.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 EC$5.59

$1.51 COP 4,869

37.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$2.38 COP 7,667

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 EC$4.71

$1.77 COP 5,712

-1.69%

Eggs

$4.75 EC$12.82

$2.89 COP 9,320

64.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 EC$30.58

$10.19 COP 32.9K

11.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 EC$24.95

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-6.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 EC$39.91

$13.99 COP 45.1K

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$8.55 EC$23.09

$3.97 COP 12.8K

115.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 EC$4.58

$1.55 COP 5,005

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.02 EC$21.65

$2.18 COP 7,039

267.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.58 EC$39.36

$2.18 COP 7,041

568.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 EC$8.91

$1.96 COP 6,328

68.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 EC$5.66

$1.59 COP 5,125

32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 EC$5.91

$1.15 COP 3,694

90.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 EC$3.58

$1.24 COP 4,009

7.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.24 EC$24.94

$3.96 COP 12.8K

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 EC$30.17

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-18.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 EC$6.09

$1.66 COP 5,352

35.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 EC$14.86

$2.26 COP 7,281

143.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 EC$3.05

$1.17 COP 3,766

-3.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.40 EC$25.39

$1.27 COP 4,089

640.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 EC$4.13

$1.35 COP 4,343

13.33%

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

$25.6K EC$69.2K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-24.75%

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

$37.4K EC$100.9K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

7.77%

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

$123 EC$331

$170 COP 547.0K

-27.79%

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

$89.6 EC$242

$13.55 COP 43.7K

561.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.53 EC$134

$28.07 COP 90.5K

76.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.56 EC$112

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-4.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 EC$14.90

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-20.12%

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

$213 EC$576

$797 COP 2.6M

-73.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 EC$229

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 EC$136

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 EC$300

$135 COP 435.2K

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 EC$304

$97.9 COP 315.6K

14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 EC$1,230

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-62.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 EC$945

$642 COP 2.1M

-45.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 EC$3,188

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 EC$1,967

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-27.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$100 EC$270

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-97.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.7 EC$169

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-96.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,099 EC$2,968

$657 COP 2.1M

67.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

10.94

-29.16%

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

Last update for Castries: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Castries

$431 29.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 31.1% $134

Accommodation & Living

Castries

$350 24.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 83.2% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castries

$262 18.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 19.3% $50

Eating Out

Castries

$177 12.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 4.1% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Castries

$161 11.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 4.8% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Castries

$53 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 9.4% $4.9

Getting Around

Castries

$14 * 1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 573% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $456 in Castries versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 67% higher in Castries, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Castries versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Castries

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

1 h behind Castries

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castries Medellin 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Castries
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

Castries vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 13% more than Castries, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,171 per month in Castries and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castries, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $456 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,448 in Castries and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Castries about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $213 per month in Castries and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,448 in Castries and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Castries – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.