Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Kingston versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Kingston versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Kingston is roughly 44% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 11% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 JMD 1,176

$6.16 COP 20.0K

21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,720

$32.60 COP 106.0K

89.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,352

$7.34 COP 23.9K

16.89%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 692

$1.72 COP 5,592

155.23%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$1.05 COP 3,416

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.77 COP 2,511

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 383

$1.69 COP 5,480

43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 682

$1.05 COP 3,418

312.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$1.30 COP 4,230

168.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$1.40 COP 4,538

17.14%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 568

$2.16 COP 7,037

67.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,765

$4.39 COP 14.3K

155.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,016

$5.88 COP 19.1K

9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,232

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 945

$2.28 COP 7,415

162.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 470

$1.11 COP 3,599

168.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 663

$1.53 COP 4,976

175.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 457

$1.35 COP 4,405

114.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$1.13 COP 3,669

78.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$1.13 COP 3,687

76.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$0.85 COP 2,749

254.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$0.91 COP 2,971

65.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 JMD 1,357

$2.34 COP 7,619

267.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,808

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-7.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$1.20 COP 3,904

131.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 480

$2.49 COP 8,094

22.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$0.84 COP 2,724

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 JMD 7,751

$40.57 COP 131.9K

21.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.42 COP 4,617

-23.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$1.92 COP 6,227

67.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 999

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-17.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$0.99 COP 3,219

25.25%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$18.0K COP 58.6M

140.98%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$26.6K COP 86.6M

28.05%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$80.8 COP 262.7K

98.99%

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

$22.24 JMD 3,504

$9.95 COP 32.3K

123.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,191

$24.18 COP 78.6K

114.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$25.08 COP 81.5K

174.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 JMD 2,508

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-16.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,109

$3.98 COP 13.0K

236.18%

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

$222 JMD 35.0K

$305 COP 992.2K

-27.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-58.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,068

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-55.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 JMD 4,017

$32.20 COP 104.7K

-20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

$101 COP 327.5K

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$108 COP 350.3K

-30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.6K

$477 COP 1.5M

84.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 71.2K

$376 COP 1.2M

20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

$845 COP 2.7M

137.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

$730 COP 2.4M

62.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-10.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

56.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.4K

$617 COP 2.0M

18.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

13.43

-31.87%

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

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 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

Kingston vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Kingston, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $880 in Kingston versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,482 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kingston. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.