Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Belize City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Belize City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,217 in Belize City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,782 in Belize City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,346 in Belize City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Belize City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Belize City is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.47 BZD 12.94

23.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$50.1 BZD 100

-4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.55 BZD 19.10

3.56%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.60 BZD 7.19

-13.06%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.74 BZD 3.47

9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.45 BZD 2.90

4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.60 BZD 5.20

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.07 BZD 6.15

87.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.68 BZD 5.37

-46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.42 BZD 4.84

2.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.23 BZD 6.46

-45.20%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.45 BZD 6.90

-14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.62 BZD 13.25

52.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.94 BZD 15.89

27.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.72 BZD 15.44

85.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.24 BZD 6.49

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.52 BZD 3.04

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.52 BZD 5.05

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.96 BZD 7.93

-43.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$3.83 BZD 7.66

-46.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.51 BZD 5.02

-38.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.29 BZD 4.57

-48.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.16 BZD 2.32

12.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.04 BZD 10.08

-22.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.86 BZD 19.72

42.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.58 BZD 5.17

-32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.35 BZD 6.71

-14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$2.71 BZD 5.43

-54.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.42 BZD 8.85

-70.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.41 BZD 4.81

-43.15%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

160.38%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$366 BZD 733

-51.60%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$49.01 BZD 98.0

-71.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$46.30 BZD 92.6

-35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$24.66 BZD 49.33

82.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$2.43 BZD 4.86

604.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.89 BZD 9.77

35.99%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$65.0 BZD 130

1150.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$674 BZD 1,348

1263.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$36.89 BZD 73.8

142.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$24.95 BZD 49.91

136.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$55.2 BZD 110

150.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$37.01 BZD 74.0

175.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$348 BZD 696

205.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$193 BZD 386

243.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$560 BZD 1,120

237.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$329 BZD 658

212.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$202 BZD 404

1969.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$847 BZD 1,695

-20.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Belize City: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $348 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Belize City. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $295, with Belize City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Belize City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $348 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,217 in Belize City – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,217 in Belize City versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belize City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Belize City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Belize City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,217 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Belize City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Belize City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.