Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $347 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Frederiksted

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $347 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Frederiksted $347

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $739 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Frederiksted $739

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,132 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Frederiksted $1,132

Medellin costs about 373% more than Frederiksted.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Frederiksted is 75% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$29.53 $29.53

-72.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$78.7 $78.7

-40.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$6.89 $6.89

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$8.03 $8.03

-28.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$59.9 $59.9

-26.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,332 $1,332

-9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Frederiksted: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,332 in Frederiksted. 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 $79 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

528

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Frederiksted 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 373% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $520 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,332 in Frederiksted. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $347 in Frederiksted. That makes Frederiksted about 79% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $79 in Frederiksted. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $347 in Frederiksted to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.