Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and As Salt Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and As Salt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $685 in As Salt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,077 in As Salt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,468 in As Salt.

Living in Medellin is roughly 145% more expensive than in As Salt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, As Salt is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.89 JOD 3.46

64.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$21.12 JOD 14.95

126.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.22 JOD 5.11

36.98%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.17 JOD 1.53

44.24%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.38 JOD 0.27

402.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.29 JOD 0.21

420.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$5.58 JOD 3.95

-44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.25 JOD 3.00

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.25 JOD 0.89

15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.31 JOD 0.22

703.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.52 JOD 1.07

16.45%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.73 JOD 1.23

71.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$4.72 JOD 3.34

113.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.31 JOD 2.34

205.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$12.84 JOD 9.08

11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.56 JOD 1.11

165.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.45 JOD 1.03

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.45 JOD 1.03

55.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.77 JOD 0.54

192.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.75 JOD 0.53

172.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.55 JOD 0.39

180.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.47 JOD 0.33

148.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.58 JOD 0.41

125.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.62 JOD 2.56

7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$14.21 JOD 10.06

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$4.12 JOD 2.92

-57.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$4.98 JOD 3.53

-42.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.86 JOD 0.61

41.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$28.76 JOD 20.36

179.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$0.57 JOD 0.41

129.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.44 JOD 1.02

52.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.89 JOD 4.87

26.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.36 JOD 0.96

0.74%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.0K JOD 14.9K

32.55%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.4K JOD 18.0K

41.01%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$34.59 JOD 24.48

412.58%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$11.14 JOD 7.89

24.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$14.23 JOD 10.07

108.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$28.02 JOD 19.83

60.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$35.55 JOD 25.16

-51.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$7.16 JOD 5.07

-7.12%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$139 JOD 98.0

486.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$8,573 JOD 6,067

7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$24.71 JOD 17.48

262.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$49.75 JOD 35.21

18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$50.1 JOD 35.44

175.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$28.55 JOD 20.20

257.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$141 JOD 100

651.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$153 JOD 109

332.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$248 JOD 175

662.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$279 JOD 198

267.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$562 JOD 398

20.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.81

60.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for As Salt: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $141 in As Salt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in As Salt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $195 per month, with As Salt 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

Medellin vs As Salt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Salt wins on cost – living expenses run 145% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making As Salt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $141 in As Salt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in As Salt – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $685 in As Salt – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 in As Salt versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Salt but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes As Salt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $685 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes As Salt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and As Salt are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find As Salt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.