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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,085 in Belize City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,646 in Belize City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,206 in Belize City.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 7% less than in Belize City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Belize City 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.19 BZD 12.39

-3.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$39.07 BZD 78.2

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.83 BZD 11.66

21.61%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.58 BZD 7.15

-52.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.35 BZD 2.71

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.29 BZD 2.59

-39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.23 BZD 4.46

-24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.60 BZD 7.20

-14.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$3.18 BZD 6.37

-65.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.24 BZD 2.49

1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$2.18 BZD 4.36

-36.70%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.42 BZD 4.85

-9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.11 BZD 14.21

-38.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.65 BZD 13.30

-15.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$5.59 BZD 11.19

59.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$3.92 BZD 7.83

-40.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.46 BZD 2.93

-27.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.11 BZD 4.21

-28.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$3.02 BZD 6.04

-54.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.87 BZD 5.74

-59.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.37 BZD 4.74

-51.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$2.26 BZD 4.51

-60.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.94 BZD 1.89

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.86 BZD 7.73

-40.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$11.09 BZD 22.18

-4.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.81 BZD 3.62

-33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.30 BZD 6.60

-25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$2.03 BZD 4.06

-57.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$19.73 BZD 39.46

109.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.94 BZD 7.88

-62.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$4.08 BZD 8.16

-51.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.88 BZD 3.76

-49.47%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$10.4K BZD 20.7K

74.95%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$206 BZD 412

-60.09%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$50.2 BZD 100

-81.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$55.2 BZD 110

-56.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$28.20 BZD 56.4

-8.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$2.45 BZD 4.90

675.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$8.20 BZD 16.40

-52.07%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$65.5 BZD 131

372.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$677 BZD 1,355

780.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$37.00 BZD 74.0

58.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$26.92 BZD 53.8

20.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$81.2 BZD 162

26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$88.5 BZD 177

22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$277 BZD 553

72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$183 BZD 365

107.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$619 BZD 1,239

35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$346 BZD 691

109.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$202 BZD 405

1279.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,204 BZD 2,409

-57.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

13.83

-2.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belize City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $277 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 135% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Belize City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $257 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

Medellin vs Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Belize City earns 135% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $277 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $39.00 in Belize City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,085 in Belize City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Belize City. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Belize City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.