Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,889 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,889

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Cruz Bay versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Cruz Bay $2,889
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,680 in Cruz Bay versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Cruz Bay $4,680
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Cruz Bay versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Cruz Bay $6,471
Medellin $3,199

Living in Cruz Bay is roughly 78% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cruz Bay 113% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 $30.27

$8.30 COP 26.3K

264.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 $91.8

$46.91 COP 148.7K

95.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.12 $17.12

$9.24 COP 29.3K

85.28%

Cappuccino

$8.84 $8.84

$3.05 COP 9,676

189.84%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.80 COP 5,707

61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.38 COP 4,382

188.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$3.24 COP 10.3K

152.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.95 $8.95

$5.56 COP 17.6K

60.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$7.80 $7.80

$1.50 COP 4,760

420.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.96 COP 9,379

69.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.56 $15.56

$9.74 COP 30.9K

59.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.13 COP 13.1K

115.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$24.92 $24.92

$13.78 COP 43.7K

80.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$354 $354

$167 COP 528.4K

112.33%

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

$140 $140

$13.62 COP 43.2K

929.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$29.12 COP 92.3K

106.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 $89.3

$45.09 COP 143.0K

97.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K $13.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

46.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$1,028 COP 3.3M

77.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$620 COP 2.0M

140.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,491 $3,491

$1,881 COP 6.0M

85.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$1,008 COP 3.2M

249.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

173.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,318 $6,318

$663 COP 2.1M

852.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Eating Out

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Getting Around

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Cruz Bay

–

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,820 in Cruz Bay and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 852% 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: $92.0 in Cruz Bay vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $298, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h behind Cruz Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cruz Bay Medellin 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cruz Bay
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

Cruz Bay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cruz Bay and Medellin differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,889 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 852% higher in Cruz Bay, 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: $1,820 in Cruz Bay versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $92.0 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,889 per month in Cruz Bay versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,889 in Cruz Bay, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cruz Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Cruz Bay and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Cruz Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.