Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Charlotte Amalie

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities 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

$1,692

/mo nomad

Charlotte Amalie

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Charlotte Amalie

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Charlotte Amalie $2,365

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $4,182 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Charlotte Amalie $4,182

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $5,998 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Charlotte Amalie $5,998

Medellin is about 28% cheaper than Charlotte Amalie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Charlotte Amalie sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Charlotte Amalie by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$25.12 $25.12

-66.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$118 $118

-60.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$12.79 $12.79

-25.96%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$7.22 $7.22

-56.65%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$3.05 $3.05

-41.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$2.46 $2.46

-42.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$5.39 $5.39

-41.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$6.93 $6.93

-17.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$2.79 $2.79

-45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$8.86 $8.86

-74.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$7.17 $7.17

-57.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.92 $4.92

-20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$19.93 $19.93

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$6.83 $6.83

-60.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$6.17 $6.17

-80.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$19.93 $19.93

-90.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.35 $1.35

-5.19%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$45.8K $45.8K

-24.73%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$48.7K $48.7K

-29.96%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$301 $301

-41.03%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$61.0 $61.0

-77.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$101 $101

-69.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$199 $199

-78.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$11.84 $11.84

-36.91%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$89.1 $89.1

55.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,261 $1,261

6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,006 $1,006

-33.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$3,493 $3,493

-43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$3,014 $3,014

-65.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Charlotte Amalie: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $118 in Charlotte Amalie. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $199 in Charlotte Amalie – so Charlotte Amalie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇮 Charlotte Amalie

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

23:54 11:54 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

14,477 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Charlotte Amalie 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
Charlotte Amalie

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 Charlotte Amalie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Charlotte Amalie is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,547 in Charlotte Amalie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Charlotte Amalie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $118 in Charlotte Amalie. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.