Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Galapagos Islands and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $892 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$892

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $892 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $892
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,343 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,343
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,794 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,794
Medellin $3,249

Galapagos Islands is about 47% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Galapagos Islands sits 34% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 $3.47

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-58.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.75 $27.75

$46.53 COP 150.1K

-40.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 $7.29

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-23.02%

Cappuccino

$2.51 $2.51

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-19.81%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$1.77 COP 5,700

-51.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.42 COP 4,597

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-39.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.53 COP 4,946

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.29 COP 7,394

-26.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.94 COP 6,276

-22.16%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$3.07 COP 9,895

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$9.99 COP 32.2K

-44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-47.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$13.96 COP 45.0K

-56.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-48.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 COP 4,932

-20.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.10 COP 6,791

-48.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.29 COP 7,402

-52.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.11 COP 6,807

-34.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.71 COP 5,515

-37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.17 COP 3,776

-56.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.58 COP 5,099

-38.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.91 COP 12.6K

51.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.76 COP 5,685

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.71 COP 8,752

-9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.18 COP 3,807

-71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.93 $23.93

$76.3 COP 246.2K

-68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.81 COP 5,831

-19.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.13 COP 6,871

-52.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.13 COP 26.2K

22.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.28 COP 4,115

-47.66%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.4K COP 111.1M

-26.12%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.1K COP 110.1M

-17.38%

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

$39.91 $39.91

$178 COP 573.5K

-77.54%

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

$13.56 $13.56

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.42 $30.42

$30.74 COP 99.2K

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.57 $29.57

$41.94 COP 135.4K

-29.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 $14.90

$16.80 COP 54.2K

-11.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 $7.24

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-3.08%

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

$257 $257

$790 COP 2.5M

-67.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,580 $5,580

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-54.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$86.3 COP 278.6K

-33.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.70 $43.70

$59.3 COP 191.2K

-26.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$138 COP 446.4K

-27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 $73.8

$98.8 COP 318.9K

-25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 $344

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 $321

$667 COP 2.2M

-51.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 $629

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-68.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 $502

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-51.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,218 $1,218

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-70.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,023 $1,023

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-47.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.59%

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

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galapagos Islands

$321 36%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 108% $346

Groceries & Markets

Galapagos Islands

$185 20.7%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 66.1% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Galapagos Islands

$124 13.9%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 38.9% $48

Eating Out

Galapagos Islands

$102 11.5%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 68.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 165% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Galapagos Islands

$44 4.9%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 29.2% $13

Getting Around

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 193% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $344 in the Galapagos Islands 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 $28 in the Galapagos Islands versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $307 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

1 h ahead of the Galapagos Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Galapagos Islands Medellin 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Galapagos Islands
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

Galapagos Islands vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $892 in the Galapagos Islands, $1,692 in Medellin – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,338 per month in the Galapagos Islands 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 the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $344 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in the Galapagos Islands and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in the Galapagos Islands, where all-in costs run around $892, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Galapagos Islands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Galapagos Islands is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.