Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basseterre

For one person, living is cheaper in Basseterre: $1,454 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses 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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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Basseterre

🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis

$1,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Basseterre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Basseterre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,454 in Basseterre, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Basseterre $1,454

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,560 in Basseterre, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Basseterre $1,560

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,666 in Basseterre, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Basseterre $1,666

Medellin costs about 13% more than Basseterre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Basseterre sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Basseterre by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$18.78 EC$50.7

-56.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$13.99 EC$37.78

-32.09%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.67 EC$9.90

-17.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.99 EC$5.38

-9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$2.25 EC$6.06

-37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.09 EC$5.65

52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.74 EC$10.10

53.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.41 EC$6.51

-37.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.79 EC$10.24

-37.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.64 EC$9.82

-51.37%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.46 EC$14.73

-47.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.41 EC$25.40

4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.38 EC$11.82

-9.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$3.02 EC$8.15

-48.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.63 EC$9.79

-39.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.16 EC$5.84

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.89 EC$5.10

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.64 EC$1.74

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.82 EC$4.93

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.61 EC$9.75

-37.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$2.20 EC$5.95

-46.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$20.19 EC$54.5

-93.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$87.9 EC$237

92.94%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$39.45 EC$107

-65.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$37.23 EC$101

17.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.37 EC$17.19

8.48%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$88.5 EC$239

-4.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$132 EC$355

2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$691 EC$1,867

74.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$640 EC$1,728

0.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$5,012 EC$13.5K

-16.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,994 EC$10.8K

-52.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,127 EC$3,042

-41.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

173.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basseterre: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Basseterre

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Basseterre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Basseterre

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Basseterre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Basseterre

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Basseterre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Basseterre

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $691 in Basseterre. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Basseterre, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇳 Basseterre

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

04:09 4:09 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

13,220 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Basseterre 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Basseterre

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

Medellin vs Basseterre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,454 in Basseterre – Basseterre comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,182 in Basseterre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basseterre, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,454 in Basseterre. That makes Basseterre about 11% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,454 in Basseterre, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,454 in Basseterre to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.