Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort-de-france

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,093 in Fort-de-france, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Fort-de-france, Martinique
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Fort-de-france
🇲🇶 Martinique
$2,093
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Fort-de-france

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 Fort-de-france actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,093 in Fort-de-france.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Fort-de-france $2,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $3,620 in Fort-de-france.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Fort-de-france $3,620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $5,146 in Fort-de-france.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Fort-de-france $5,146

Living in Medellin costs roughly 19% less than in Fort-de-france, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Fort-de-france 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$22.53 €20.16
-62.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$99.7 €89.2
-53.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$15.35 €13.74
-38.31%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$4.87 €4.36
-35.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,704
$4.44 €3.97
-60.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,600
$3.91 €3.50
-63.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$8.03 €7.18
-60.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$5.70 €5.10
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,949
$1.75 €1.56
-12.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,399
$1.97 €1.77
16.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,281
$3.49 €3.12
-44.41%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,902
$6.39 €5.72
-51.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$18.76 €16.78
-46.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$22.34 €19.99
-53.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$20.45 €18.29
-31.74%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.76 €3.36
7.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,936
$1.34 €1.20
14.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,795
$2.92 €2.61
-28.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,407
$7.10 €6.35
-67.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,812
$1.96 €1.75
7.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,519
$2.16 €1.94
-20.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,779
$1.64 €1.47
-28.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,102
$0.71 €0.64
122.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$11.99 €10.73
-67.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$8.23 €7.37
70.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,689
$1.71 €1.53
2.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,758
$2.85 €2.55
-4.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,810
$1.59 €1.43
-25.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$49.81 €44.57
53.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,835
$4.18 €3.74
-56.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,876
$2.12 €1.89
0.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$43.00 €38.48
-81.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,118
$2.56 €2.29
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$35.9K €32.1K
-4.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$34.2K €30.6K
-0.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.9K
$159 €142
11.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$11.12 €9.95
24.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$46.65 €41.74
-34.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$37.61 €33.65
11.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$18.25 €16.33
-7.95%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$11.13 €9.96
-32.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$496 €444
59.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$4,019 €3,596
205.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.8K
$114 €102
-24.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$28.20 €25.24
110.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.7K
$152 €136
-8.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.1K
$215 €192
-54.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,138 €1,018
17.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$712 €637
-6.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,974 €1,766
0.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,854 €1,659
-44.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$2,324 €2,080
76.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,668 €2,387
-27.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Fort-de-france
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$2,242 €2,006
-71.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
1.45
654.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fort-de-france: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Fort-de-france
$712 6.7% $44
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Fort-de-france
$436 41.8% $129
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Fort-de-france
$217 2.6% $5.8
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Fort-de-france
$370 114% $197
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Fort-de-france
$229 32.8% $57
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Fort-de-france
$71 24.1% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Fort-de-france
$60 5.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $1,138 in Fort-de-france. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort-de-france pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $100 in Fort-de-france for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $436 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇶 Fort-de-france
🕒 Local time
19:29 7:29 PM
20:29 8:29 PM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
76,512 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,609 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Fort-de-france 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Fort-de-france

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 Fort-de-france: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Fort-de-france?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Fort-de-france. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Fort-de-france?
On paper, salaries run 71% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Fort-de-france?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,138 in Fort-de-france. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Fort-de-france?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Fort-de-france. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Fort-de-france?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $100 in Fort-de-france. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Fort-de-france?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Medellin or Fort-de-france?
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.
Should I move to Medellin or to Fort-de-france?
It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Fort-de-france on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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