Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cruz Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,911 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cruz Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,911 in Cruz Bay.

Medellin $1,639
Cruz Bay $2,911

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $4,707 in Cruz Bay.

Medellin $2,413
Cruz Bay $4,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $6,503 in Cruz Bay.

Medellin $3,186
Cruz Bay $6,503

Living in Medellin costs roughly 44% less than in Cruz Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Cruz Bay 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$30.27 $30.27

-73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$94.2 $94.2

-50.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$16.90 $16.90

-43.79%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$9.04 $9.04

-66.70%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$2.99 $2.99

-39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$4.09 $4.09

-65.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$8.11 $8.11

-60.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$9.26 $9.26

-37.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$8.08 $8.08

-81.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$4.87 $4.87

-40.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$15.71 $15.71

-37.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$9.01 $9.01

-55.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$24.63 $24.63

-44.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

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 547.5K

$354 $354

-52.01%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$138 $138

-90.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$59.0 $59.0

-52.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$90.2 $90.2

-51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.0K $13.0K

-29.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,778 $1,778

-32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,509 $1,509

-57.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,525 $3,525

-42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$3,533 $3,533

-71.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$10.9K $10.9K

-61.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$6,147 $6,147

-89.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cruz Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cruz Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cruz Bay

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cruz Bay

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cruz Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cruz Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,778 in Cruz Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays about 9.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $94 in Cruz Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $273, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

01:41 1:41 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,743

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cruz Bay 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cruz Bay

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 Cruz Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,911 in Cruz Bay, so Medellin is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,778 in Cruz Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $94 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $2,911 in Cruz Bay – Medellin is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,911 in Cruz Bay, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cruz Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Cruz Bay on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.