Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in May Pen versus $1,614 in Medellin.

May Pen $722
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $819 in May Pen versus $2,402 in Medellin.

May Pen $819
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $916 in May Pen versus $3,190 in Medellin.

May Pen $916
Medellin $3,190

Living in May Pen costs roughly 55% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 47% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 JMD 357

$1.45 COP 4,600

55.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 JMD 586

$2.36 COP 7,496

57.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 JMD 489

$1.68 COP 5,328

83.93%

Eggs

$3.45 JMD 544

$2.86 COP 9,077

20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 JMD 1,210

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-19.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 JMD 800

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-63.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 244

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$5.16 JMD 816

$1.50 COP 4,742

244.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 981

$2.17 COP 6,891

186.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 306

$2.31 COP 7,310

-16.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 JMD 303

$1.93 COP 6,113

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 JMD 289

$1.64 COP 5,196

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 JMD 510

$1.13 COP 3,571

185.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$1.25 COP 3,954

121.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 JMD 338

$1.70 COP 5,384

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 224

$1.30 COP 4,114

9.23%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

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

$42.80 JMD 6,762

$13.37 COP 42.4K

220.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 JMD 8,447

$28.73 COP 91.1K

86.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.99 JMD 2,526

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-81.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.55 JMD 3,405

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-62.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.56 JMD 6,566

$137 COP 432.9K

-69.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 JMD 8,421

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 JMD 45.4K

$616 COP 2.0M

-53.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for May Pen: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

Same time as May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

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 19, 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 19, 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

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

From you

May Pen
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

May Pen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,083 in May Pen and $2,421 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $722 per month in May Pen versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but May Pen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $722 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes May Pen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find May Pen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.