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: $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Kingston versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,093 in Kingston versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Kingston costs roughly 2% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 23% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 JMD 2,513

$8.03 COP 25.3K

98.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

$48.26 COP 152.3K

54.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 JMD 1,388

$9.77 COP 30.8K

-9.83%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 823

$2.91 COP 9,185

79.38%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.94 COP 6,134

-38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$1.52 COP 4,801

-54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

$3.09 COP 9,759

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 639

$1.36 COP 4,304

198.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 JMD 589

$2.39 COP 7,534

56.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 JMD 261

$1.70 COP 5,366

-2.35%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 570

$2.87 COP 9,056

25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,826

$9.94 COP 31.4K

16.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-42.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 JMD 1,595

$14.73 COP 46.5K

-31.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 964

$4.09 COP 12.9K

49.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.99 JMD 629

$1.57 COP 4,960

154.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,179

$2.13 COP 6,708

251.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 491

$2.21 COP 6,985

40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 510

$2.05 COP 6,460

57.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$1.50 COP 4,747

76.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 474

$1.19 COP 3,755

152.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.16 COP 3,654

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 JMD 1,534

$3.90 COP 12.3K

149.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,785

$14.44 COP 45.6K

-21.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$1.58 COP 4,997

75.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$2.83 COP 8,923

39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$1.17 COP 3,686

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,082

$77.7 COP 245.3K

-50.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$1.28 COP 4,054

-3.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 496

$2.09 COP 6,602

50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 JMD 970

$8.62 COP 27.2K

-28.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 215

$1.30 COP 4,096

4.62%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$27.7K COP 87.3M

57.95%

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

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

$35.5K COP 112.0M

-8.75%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$176 COP 555.6K

-2.38%

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

$29.66 JMD 4,675

$13.37 COP 42.2K

121.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,278

$29.89 COP 94.3K

75.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 JMD 9,862

$44.76 COP 141.2K

39.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,827

$17.06 COP 53.8K

5.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 JMD 2,103

$6.20 COP 19.6K

115.32%

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

$367 JMD 57.8K

$793 COP 2.5M

-53.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

$9,019 COP 28.5M

-7.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.88 JMD 3,764

$85.6 COP 270.1K

-72.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 JMD 5,020

$58.5 COP 184.5K

-45.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$136 COP 430.1K

-41.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$103 COP 325.4K

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 JMD 153.2K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.7K

$680 COP 2.1M

-17.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

22.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

$4,111 COP 13.0M

-29.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

$1,701 COP 5.4M

20.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.3K

$665 COP 2.1M

13.80%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Kingston and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kingston vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $303 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

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $972 in Kingston versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Kingston versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,684 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.