Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Castries

For one person, living is cheaper in Castries: $1,448 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Castries
Learn more

Castries Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Castries

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 Castries actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,448 in Castries, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Castries $1,448

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,377 in Castries, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Castries $2,377

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,307 in Castries, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Castries $3,307

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

Both Medellin and Castries sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Castries by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.34 EC$25.21

-13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$73.2 EC$198

-35.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.36 EC$22.56

13.64%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.73 EC$10.06

-19.30%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.00 EC$5.39

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.00 EC$2.69

41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.76 EC$7.45

15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.29 EC$8.89

74.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.07 EC$5.59

-27.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.87 EC$5.05

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.74 EC$4.71

1.72%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$4.75 EC$12.82

-39.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.33 EC$30.58

-10.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.24 EC$24.95

6.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.78 EC$39.91

-5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$8.55 EC$23.09

-53.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.70 EC$4.58

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$8.02 EC$21.65

-72.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$14.58 EC$39.36

-85.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$3.30 EC$8.91

-40.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.10 EC$5.66

-24.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.19 EC$5.91

-47.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.33 EC$3.58

-6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$9.24 EC$24.94

-57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$11.18 EC$30.17

22.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.25 EC$6.09

-26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$5.50 EC$14.86

-58.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.13 EC$3.05

3.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$9.40 EC$25.39

-86.49%

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

$1.53 EC$4.13

-11.76%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$25.6K EC$69.2K

32.89%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$37.4K EC$100.9K

-7.21%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$123 EC$331

38.49%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$89.6 EC$242

-84.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$49.53 EC$134

-43.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$41.56 EC$112

5.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.52 EC$14.90

25.18%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$213 EC$576

273.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$84.7 EC$229

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$50.2 EC$136

15.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$111 EC$300

21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$112 EC$304

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$456 EC$1,230

165.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$350 EC$945

83.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,181 EC$3,188

71.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$729 EC$1,967

38.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$100 EC$270

4066.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$62.7 EC$169

2948.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,099 EC$2,968

-40.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.75

41.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Castries: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Castries

$350 24.2% 45.4% $291

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Castries

$431 29.8% 45.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Castries

$262 18.1% 23.9% $50

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Castries

$177 12.2% 4.2% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Castries

$161 11.1% 4.6% $7.8

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Castries

$14 * 1% 85.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Castries

$53 3.6% 8.6% $4.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $456 in Castries. 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 67% higher in Castries, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $73 in Castries. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $431 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇨 Castries

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

04:02 4:02 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

22,000 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Castries 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Castries

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 Castries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 13% more than Castries, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,171 in Castries. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castries, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $456 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,448 in Castries. That makes Castries about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $213 in Castries. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,448 in Castries. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Castries – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.