Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Green Island versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Green Island versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,353 in Green Island versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Green Island costs roughly 37% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Green Island is 25% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.56 JMD 2,444

$8.04 COP 24.8K

93.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 JMD 11.7K

$48.29 COP 148.6K

54.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 JMD 1,401

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-5.31%

Cappuccino

$5.43 JMD 852

$2.94 COP 9,040

84.69%

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

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.86 COP 5,735

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 JMD 107

$1.46 COP 4,479

-53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 JMD 337

$3.21 COP 9,882

-33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 484

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 638

$1.44 COP 4,428

181.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 JMD 596

$2.40 COP 7,389

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 JMD 259

$1.70 COP 5,228

-2.94%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 549

$2.89 COP 8,896

21.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 JMD 1,764

$10.06 COP 30.9K

11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 JMD 996

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-36.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 JMD 1,594

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 JMD 957

$3.98 COP 12.3K

53.02%

Banana (1kg)

$4.01 JMD 629

$1.58 COP 4,878

153.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.45 JMD 1,170

$2.15 COP 6,624

246.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 471

$2.30 COP 7,078

30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 JMD 508

$2.00 COP 6,169

62.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 JMD 414

$1.51 COP 4,646

74.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 JMD 493

$1.20 COP 3,701

161.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 JMD 239

$1.28 COP 3,946

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 JMD 1,509

$3.84 COP 11.8K

150.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,800

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-18.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 447

$1.71 COP 5,256

66.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 JMD 633

$2.74 COP 8,440

47.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 191

$1.31 COP 4,016

-6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 508

$2.17 COP 6,680

48.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 JMD 963

$8.29 COP 25.5K

-26.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 JMD 220

$1.36 COP 4,172

2.94%

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

$45.0K JMD 7.1M

$27.5K COP 84.5M

63.64%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-9.59%

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

$173 JMD 27.2K

$169 COP 519.2K

2.45%

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

$29.14 JMD 4,578

$13.57 COP 41.8K

114.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 JMD 8,474

$28.32 COP 87.2K

90.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 JMD 2,116

$6.65 COP 20.5K

102.56%

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

$358 JMD 56.2K

$803 COP 2.5M

-55.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,105 JMD 1.3M

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-11.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.80 JMD 3,739

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-72.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 JMD 4,991

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 JMD 12.1K

$139 COP 427.5K

-44.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.4K

$102 COP 314.0K

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

10.94

-13.62%

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

Last update for Green Island: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $75.0 in Green Island vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $300 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

Green Island vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Green Island and Medellin differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $1,641 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,545 in Green Island and $2,462 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Green Island versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,030 in Green Island versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Green Island but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Green Island the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Green Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.