Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,445 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,445

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,445 in Jaco Beach versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Jaco Beach $1,445
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,296 in Jaco Beach versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Jaco Beach $2,296
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,147 in Jaco Beach versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Jaco Beach $3,147
Medellin $3,186

Living in Jaco Beach costs roughly 12% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jaco Beach 6% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 ₡5,106

$8.09 COP 25.4K

39.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.14 ₡19.5K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-8.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 ₡4,612

$9.50 COP 29.9K

7.58%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,799

$3.01 COP 9,485

32.56%

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

$2.40 ₡1,085

$1.80 COP 5,660

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡844

$1.41 COP 4,443

32.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ₡1,441

$3.18 COP 9,990

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₡1,954

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-24.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡892

$1.51 COP 4,751

31.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ₡989

$2.38 COP 7,480

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$1.77 COP 5,573

35.03%

Eggs

$2.60 ₡1,175

$2.89 COP 9,093

-10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,865

$10.19 COP 32.1K

5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₡4,008

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 ₡5,466

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 ₡2,233

$3.97 COP 12.5K

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₡748

$1.55 COP 4,883

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 ₡2,141

$2.18 COP 6,867

117.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,544

$2.18 COP 6,870

56.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ₡676

$1.96 COP 6,174

-23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ₡641

$1.59 COP 5,000

-10.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡447

$1.15 COP 3,604

-13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₡900

$1.24 COP 3,911

60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 ₡2,711

$3.96 COP 12.5K

51.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 ₡6,231

$13.68 COP 43.0K

0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₡1,192

$1.66 COP 5,222

59.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡985

$2.26 COP 7,104

-3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,125

$1.27 COP 3,989

96.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

$2.05 COP 6,442

-20.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 ₡3,848

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.35 COP 4,237

16.30%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-0.52%

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

$42.6K ₡19.2M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

22.93%

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

$79.6 ₡35.9K

$170 COP 533.7K

-53.11%

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

$23.88 ₡10.8K

$13.55 COP 42.6K

76.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.69 ₡21.5K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

69.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₡23.4K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,483

$6.91 COP 21.7K

11.72%

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

$479 ₡216.3K

$797 COP 2.5M

-39.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,442 ₡3.4M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-18.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.50 ₡11.5K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-69.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 ₡25.4K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.3K

$135 COP 424.6K

-5.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.8K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

35.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₡337.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₡237.2K

$642 COP 2.0M

-18.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡895.4K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-2.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 ₡495.8K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

8.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$402 ₡181.3K

$657 COP 2.1M

-38.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jaco Beach

$526 36.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 22.1% $116

Groceries & Markets

Jaco Beach

$326 22.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 8.9% $29

Eating Out

Jaco Beach

$211 14.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 19.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Jaco Beach

$154 10.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 10.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaco Beach

$151 10.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 39.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Jaco Beach

$67 4.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 14.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Jaco Beach

$11 * 0.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 779% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $748 in Jaco Beach and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Jaco Beach vs $47 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $297, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

04:38 4:38 AM

1 h ahead of Jaco Beach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jaco Beach Medellin 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jaco Beach
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

Jaco Beach vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in transport and clothing. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Jaco Beach. 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: $748 in Jaco Beach versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $479 in Jaco Beach versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Jaco Beach is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Jaco Beach wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.