Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,057 in Gizo versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,946 in Gizo versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Gizo versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Gizo is roughly 105% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 55% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 SBD 24.77

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-48.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 SBD 435

$32.96 COP 103.8K

63.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 SBD 119

$7.43 COP 23.4K

98.25%

Cappuccino

$2.63 SBD 21.24

$1.65 COP 5,207

59.39%

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

$1.18 SBD 9.52

$1.10 COP 3,468

7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SBD 9.94

$0.78 COP 2,458

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 SBD 19.29

$1.72 COP 5,412

38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SBD 19.16

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 SBD 25.56

$1.10 COP 3,474

187.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 SBD 10.89

$1.26 COP 3,962

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 SBD 11.23

$1.38 COP 4,349

0.72%

Eggs

$6.63 SBD 53.5

$2.18 COP 6,858

204.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 SBD 68.9

$4.49 COP 14.1K

89.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 SBD 49.62

$5.79 COP 18.2K

6.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 SBD 66.8

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 SBD 54.8

$2.32 COP 7,308

192.24%

Banana (1kg)

$6.14 SBD 49.57

$1.06 COP 3,352

479.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 SBD 49.69

$1.52 COP 4,774

304.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 SBD 24.77

$1.36 COP 4,270

125.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 SBD 23.93

$1.13 COP 3,552

161.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 SBD 18.83

$1.17 COP 3,689

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.60

$0.90 COP 2,838

170.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SBD 10.44

$0.90 COP 2,823

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 SBD 34.83

$2.23 COP 7,034

93.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 SBD 99.7

$12.12 COP 38.2K

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SBD 14.72

$1.19 COP 3,743

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.71

$2.48 COP 7,815

-11.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 SBD 3.00

$0.85 COP 2,687

-56.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.81 SBD 241

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-28.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 SBD 9.44

$1.42 COP 4,459

-17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 SBD 18.57

$1.95 COP 6,141

17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 SBD 96.0

$7.89 COP 24.8K

50.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SBD 14.19

$0.99 COP 3,118

77.78%

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

$20.2K SBD 162.9K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

14.54%

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

$20.9K SBD 169.2K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-21.83%

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

$712 SBD 5,749

$83.0 COP 261.4K

757.25%

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

$13.17 SBD 106

$9.70 COP 30.5K

35.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 SBD 984

$23.52 COP 74.1K

417.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.13 SBD 146

$25.26 COP 79.5K

-28.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 SBD 47.21

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-69.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.16 SBD 33.64

$3.95 COP 12.4K

5.32%

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

$121 SBD 980

$316 COP 994.2K

-61.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,196 SBD 9,662

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-79.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 SBD 198

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-59.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.0 SBD 735

$31.82 COP 100.2K

185.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 SBD 768

$102 COP 320.1K

-6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 SBD 686

$107 COP 338.3K

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 SBD 4,702

$475 COP 1.5M

22.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SBD 4,673

$374 COP 1.2M

54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 SBD 4,854

$849 COP 2.7M

-29.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 SBD 9,637

$719 COP 2.3M

65.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.7K SBD 708.3K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

2585.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$391 SBD 3,162

$624 COP 2.0M

-37.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

13.43

21.59%

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

Last update for Gizo: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Gizo and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Gizo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Gizo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $582 in Gizo versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $54.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,057 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gizo 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 105% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.