Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Kingston and in Medellin: $1,668 and $1,614 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Kingston $1,668
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,812 in Kingston versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Kingston $2,812
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,955 in Kingston versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Kingston $3,955
Medellin $3,190

Living in Kingston is roughly 3% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 24% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 JMD 2,099

$7.93 COP 25.2K

67.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

59.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,285

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-14.32%

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 861

$3.11 COP 9,866

75.24%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$1.83 COP 5,800

-37.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 115

$1.38 COP 4,360

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

$3.05 COP 9,672

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-43.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.19 JMD 661

$1.45 COP 4,600

188.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 JMD 598

$2.36 COP 7,496

60.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$1.68 COP 5,328

-4.17%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$2.86 COP 9,077

21.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

$10.19 COP 32.3K

11.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,003

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-33.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,644

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-25.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 957

$4.07 COP 12.9K

48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 JMD 604

$1.50 COP 4,742

154.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,146

$2.17 COP 6,891

234.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 484

$2.31 COP 7,310

32.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JMD 506

$1.93 COP 6,113

66.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 415

$1.64 COP 5,196

59.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 494

$1.13 COP 3,571

176.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 228

$1.25 COP 3,954

15.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,498

$3.99 COP 12.6K

137.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,795

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 453

$1.70 COP 5,384

68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 JMD 613

$2.37 COP 7,525

63.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JMD 119

$1.21 COP 3,827

-38.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 JMD 5,888

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-51.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 192

$1.32 COP 4,179

-7.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

$2.14 COP 6,774

49.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 996

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-25.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 219

$1.30 COP 4,114

6.92%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

58.24%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-7.43%

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

$167 JMD 26.4K

$172 COP 545.6K

-3.07%

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

$29.86 JMD 4,717

$13.37 COP 42.4K

123.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,443

$28.73 COP 91.1K

86.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 JMD 9,787

$45.24 COP 143.5K

36.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 JMD 2,782

$17.04 COP 54.0K

3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 JMD 2,078

$6.28 COP 19.9K

109.39%

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

$770 COP 2.4M

-53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-6.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,752

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-72.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 JMD 4,918

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-45.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

$137 COP 432.9K

-43.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 JMD 15.9K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 JMD 154.0K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 89.0K

$616 COP 2.0M

-8.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

13.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

38.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-29.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

21.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 JMD 116.1K

$652 COP 2.1M

12.63%

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 Kingston: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$563 33.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 9.4% $53

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 23%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 23.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$250 15%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 14.4% $36

Eating Out

Kingston

$221 13.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 23.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 62.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 34.5% $30

Getting Around

Kingston

$57 3.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 62.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Kingston and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 13% 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: $74.0 in Kingston vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kingston Medellin 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
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

Kingston vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 3% 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 13% 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: $975 in Kingston versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $359 in Kingston versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,668 in Kingston, a $2,500 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 $1,614 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 3% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.