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: $2,098 in Gizo versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,983 in Gizo versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,868 in Gizo versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Gizo is roughly 103% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 57% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 SBD 24.37

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-48.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 SBD 439

$32.75 COP 119.1K

67.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 SBD 120

$7.20 COP 26.2K

108.61%

Cappuccino

$2.77 SBD 22.20

$1.70 COP 6,186

62.94%

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

$1.17 SBD 9.36

$1.10 COP 3,996

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 SBD 9.47

$0.72 COP 2,625

63.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 SBD 19.36

$1.67 COP 6,067

44.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 SBD 18.80

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SBD 24.36

$1.06 COP 3,837

186.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 SBD 10.40

$1.25 COP 4,531

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 SBD 10.91

$1.39 COP 5,060

-2.16%

Eggs

$6.80 SBD 54.4

$2.26 COP 8,229

200.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 SBD 65.4

$4.33 COP 15.8K

88.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 SBD 47.61

$5.84 COP 21.2K

1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 SBD 67.7

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-4.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 SBD 54.2

$2.24 COP 8,159

202.68%

Banana (1kg)

$6.09 SBD 48.73

$1.08 COP 3,911

463.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 SBD 48.34

$1.53 COP 5,563

294.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 SBD 24.56

$1.37 COP 4,987

124.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 SBD 23.29

$1.13 COP 4,109

157.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 SBD 19.60

$1.12 COP 4,067

118.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SBD 19.53

$0.85 COP 3,080

187.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SBD 10.36

$0.91 COP 3,305

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 SBD 32.62

$2.33 COP 8,477

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 SBD 99.0

$11.13 COP 40.5K

11.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SBD 14.78

$1.19 COP 4,342

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SBD 17.18

$2.37 COP 8,617

-9.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.02

$0.79 COP 2,859

-51.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 SBD 243

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-26.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 SBD 9.49

$1.44 COP 5,223

-17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 SBD 18.49

$1.91 COP 6,952

20.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 SBD 94.0

$8.02 COP 29.2K

46.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 SBD 13.68

$0.94 COP 3,410

81.91%

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

$20.3K SBD 162.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

13.48%

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

$21.4K SBD 171.1K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-20.18%

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

$711 SBD 5,687

$84.0 COP 305.4K

746.70%

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

$12.98 SBD 104

$9.60 COP 34.9K

35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 SBD 977

$24.16 COP 87.9K

405.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.05 SBD 144

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-30.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.02 SBD 48.18

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-68.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 SBD 32.62

$3.92 COP 14.2K

4.08%

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

$120 SBD 962

$306 COP 1.1M

-60.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,200 SBD 9,601

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-79.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.40 SBD 195

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-57.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 SBD 718

$31.82 COP 115.7K

181.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SBD 778

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.6 SBD 677

$107 COP 389.7K

-21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 SBD 4,655

$487 COP 1.8M

19.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SBD 4,480

$368 COP 1.3M

52.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 SBD 4,786

$826 COP 3.0M

-27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 SBD 9,773

$716 COP 2.6M

70.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$88.6K SBD 709.0K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

2929.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 SBD 3,159

$546 COP 2.0M

-27.61%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Gizo and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Gizo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $190 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 103% 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, Medellin earns 38% less. 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 $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% 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 $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,098 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 $1,034 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 103% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.