Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Desamparados and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Desamparados and in Medellin: $1,692 and $1,692 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,692

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Desamparados vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Desamparados $1,692
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $2,664 per month in Desamparados vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Desamparados $2,664
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $3,636 per month in Desamparados vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Desamparados $3,636
Medellin $3,249

Desamparados and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Desamparados and Medellin sit above the global median – Desamparados by 25%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.32 ₡5,539

$8.34 COP 26.9K

47.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 ₡26.4K

$46.53 COP 150.2K

26.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 ₡5,201

$9.47 COP 30.6K

22.07%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,936

$3.13 COP 10.1K

37.38%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.77 COP 5,702

50.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡863

$1.42 COP 4,599

35.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$3.15 COP 10.2K

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ₡1,954

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-23.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$1.53 COP 4,948

53.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 ₡1,243

$2.29 COP 7,397

20.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$1.94 COP 6,279

28.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$3.07 COP 9,900

16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ₡4,886

$9.99 COP 32.3K

8.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,624

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,383

$13.96 COP 45.1K

1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 ₡2,348

$4.05 COP 13.1K

28.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡716

$1.53 COP 4,934

3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₡1,473

$2.10 COP 6,794

55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,549

$2.29 COP 7,405

50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 ₡1,395

$2.11 COP 6,810

46.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,452

$1.71 COP 5,518

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡470

$1.17 COP 3,778

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,220

$1.58 COP 5,101

71.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,505

$3.91 COP 12.6K

42.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 ₡7,526

$14.04 COP 45.3K

19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₡1,169

$1.76 COP 5,688

47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,233

$2.71 COP 8,756

1.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡586

$1.18 COP 3,809

10.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$1.81 COP 5,833

38.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡694

$2.13 COP 6,874

-27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,917

$8.13 COP 26.3K

7.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.28 COP 4,117

18.75%

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

$33.7K ₡15.1M

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-2.20%

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

$42.4K ₡19.1M

$34.1K COP 110.2M

24.32%

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

$93.1 ₡41.8K

$178 COP 573.8K

-47.65%

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

$29.52 ₡13.3K

$13.89 COP 44.8K

112.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ₡26.5K

$30.74 COP 99.2K

91.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.0K

$41.94 COP 135.4K

64.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ₡3,368

$7.47 COP 24.1K

0.27%

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

$845 ₡380.0K

$790 COP 2.6M

6.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$12.3K COP 39.7M

39.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.4K

$86.3 COP 278.7K

-16.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$59.3 COP 191.3K

-6.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.1K

$138 COP 446.6K

-8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$98.8 COP 319.0K

35.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 ₡286.1K

$667 COP 2.2M

-4.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ₡844.1K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-4.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₡557.6K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

20.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Desamparados: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Desamparados

$636 37.6%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 4.9% $31

Groceries & Markets

Desamparados

$372 22%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 17.5% $65

Eating Out

Desamparados

$228 13.5%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 24.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Desamparados

$181 10.7%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 22.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Desamparados

$175 10.3%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 1.4% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Desamparados

$84 5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 32.3% $27

Getting Around

Desamparados

$15 * 0.9%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 506% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Desamparados versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Desamparados versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

1 h ahead of Desamparados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Desamparados Medellin 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Desamparados
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

Desamparados vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Desamparados and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Desamparados, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $800 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $845 per month in Desamparados and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Desamparados, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Desamparados and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,692 in Desamparados. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.