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: $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Kingston versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Kingston versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Kingston is roughly 43% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 8% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,192

$5.99 COP 21.4K

27.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,707

$32.86 COP 117.4K

88.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 JMD 1,379

$7.09 COP 25.3K

24.12%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 682

$1.71 COP 6,115

154.97%

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

$1.32 JMD 207

$1.10 COP 3,924

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.78 COP 2,781

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 403

$1.68 COP 5,997

52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 501

$3.07 COP 11.0K

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 684

$1.09 COP 3,906

300.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 JMD 573

$1.26 COP 4,508

190.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 246

$1.38 COP 4,922

13.77%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 543

$2.19 COP 7,827

58.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 JMD 1,754

$4.40 COP 15.7K

154.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,007

$5.63 COP 20.1K

14.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,225

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 933

$2.34 COP 8,349

154.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 JMD 491

$1.06 COP 3,777

195.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 673

$1.50 COP 5,374

186.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 464

$1.38 COP 4,924

114.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 317

$1.15 COP 4,111

76.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 315

$1.16 COP 4,155

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 489

$0.89 COP 3,182

250.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 227

$0.84 COP 2,997

72.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 JMD 1,393

$2.28 COP 8,145

289.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,769

$10.64 COP 38.0K

6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 454

$1.20 COP 4,284

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$2.47 COP 8,824

29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$0.86 COP 3,056

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.53 JMD 7,604

$41.40 COP 147.9K

17.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$1.47 COP 5,264

-23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 494

$1.96 COP 7,009

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 971

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-20.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$0.95 COP 3,409

34.74%

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

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

138.20%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

27.51%

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

$163 JMD 25.5K

$82.3 COP 293.7K

97.96%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,523

$9.50 COP 33.9K

136.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 7,942

$24.23 COP 86.5K

109.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$25.89 COP 92.4K

168.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,428

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-18.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,024

$3.93 COP 14.0K

228.75%

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

$222 JMD 34.8K

$309 COP 1.1M

-28.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-58.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,032

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-56.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 JMD 3,955

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-21.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

$103 COP 366.4K

-29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

$108 COP 387.2K

-30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 137.9K

$476 COP 1.7M

84.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 70.7K

$379 COP 1.4M

19.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

$838 COP 3.0M

141.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

$724 COP 2.6M

66.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

2.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

80.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 114.7K

$512 COP 1.8M

43.06%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 43% 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 $353 vs $188 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 43% 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.

Kingston pays 43% more on average, 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 $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,451 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 $1,013 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 43% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.