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: $2,076 in Gizo versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,981 in Gizo versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Gizo versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Gizo is roughly 104% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 54% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SBD 23.77

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-50.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 SBD 432

$33.33 COP 116.3K

61.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.75 SBD 119

$7.23 COP 25.2K

104.01%

Cappuccino

$2.67 SBD 21.44

$1.63 COP 5,687

63.80%

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

$1.22 SBD 9.82

$1.09 COP 3,821

11.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 SBD 9.37

$0.73 COP 2,548

60.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 SBD 18.92

$1.74 COP 6,065

35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SBD 19.69

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 SBD 24.38

$1.05 COP 3,662

188.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SBD 10.71

$1.29 COP 4,515

3.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 SBD 10.81

$1.32 COP 4,617

1.52%

Eggs

$7.01 SBD 56.4

$2.27 COP 7,927

208.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 SBD 68.4

$4.35 COP 15.2K

95.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.31

$5.88 COP 20.5K

2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 SBD 67.2

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 SBD 53.3

$2.25 COP 7,844

194.22%

Banana (1kg)

$5.87 SBD 47.20

$1.07 COP 3,733

448.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 SBD 46.95

$1.52 COP 5,322

284.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 SBD 24.58

$1.42 COP 4,964

115.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 SBD 23.41

$1.17 COP 4,084

148.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 SBD 19.48

$1.17 COP 4,077

106.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.53

$0.89 COP 3,096

173.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SBD 10.53

$0.90 COP 3,146

45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 SBD 34.70

$2.25 COP 7,837

91.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 SBD 101

$11.04 COP 38.5K

14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SBD 14.65

$1.14 COP 3,977

59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SBD 16.93

$2.38 COP 8,301

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 SBD 2.99

$0.84 COP 2,916

-55.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.69 SBD 239

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-29.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 SBD 9.93

$1.41 COP 4,912

-12.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 SBD 18.63

$1.90 COP 6,634

22.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 SBD 94.6

$7.75 COP 27.0K

51.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SBD 14.41

$1.01 COP 3,509

77.23%

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

$19.9K SBD 159.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

13.03%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.0K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-22.11%

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

$708 SBD 5,697

$83.7 COP 292.1K

746.45%

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

$12.92 SBD 104

$9.45 COP 33.0K

36.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 SBD 948

$24.11 COP 84.1K

388.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.91 SBD 144

$25.31 COP 88.3K

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.06 SBD 48.78

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-68.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 SBD 34.49

$4.10 COP 14.3K

4.63%

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

$119 SBD 955

$312 COP 1.1M

-61.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,205 SBD 9,690

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-79.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.09 SBD 194

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-58.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.1 SBD 725

$32.56 COP 113.6K

176.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 SBD 778

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 SBD 681

$109 COP 378.8K

-21.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 SBD 4,579

$482 COP 1.7M

18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SBD 4,610

$379 COP 1.3M

51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 SBD 4,846

$837 COP 2.9M

-28.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SBD 9,510

$723 COP 2.5M

63.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.2K SBD 693.4K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

2936.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 SBD 3,127

$541 COP 1.9M

-28.11%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in Gizo and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 39% 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 $342 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 104% 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 39% 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: $569 in Gizo versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% 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 $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,076 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 $1,017 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 104% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.