Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gizo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gizo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,175 in Gizo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $3,079 in Gizo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,983 in Gizo.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 23% less than in Gizo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Gizo 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.14 SBD 25.09

155.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$55.2 SBD 441

-13.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$15.36 SBD 123

-35.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.87 SBD 22.94

9.06%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.28 SBD 10.25

49.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.22 SBD 9.75

23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.55 SBD 20.43

22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.45 SBD 19.62

134.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$3.19 SBD 25.54

-54.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.34 SBD 10.69

85.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.43 SBD 11.41

23.78%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$7.24 SBD 57.9

-59.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.61 SBD 68.8

16.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.38 SBD 51.0

58.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.73 SBD 69.9

63.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$6.78 SBD 54.2

-38.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$6.38 SBD 51.0

-74.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$6.38 SBD 51.0

-64.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.04 SBD 24.31

-25.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$3.10 SBD 24.81

-34.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.54 SBD 20.31

-39.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.44 SBD 19.52

-52.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.34 SBD 10.69

-2.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.30 SBD 34.37

-9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$12.74 SBD 102

9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.89 SBD 15.14

-7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.24 SBD 17.89

28.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.36 SBD 2.87

238.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$31.21 SBD 250

157.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.26 SBD 10.10

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.45 SBD 19.63

-10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$12.58 SBD 101

-30.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.80 SBD 14.39

-23.89%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$20.6K SBD 164.6K

35.29%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$22.3K SBD 178.0K

60.72%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$754 SBD 6,033

-76.50%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$13.49 SBD 108

2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$123 SBD 987

-75.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$18.99 SBD 152

136.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.07 SBD 48.55

182.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.34 SBD 34.68

53.23%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$126 SBD 1,011

543.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,272 SBD 10.2K

622.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$25.26 SBD 202

254.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$93.0 SBD 744

-36.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$100.0 SBD 799

38.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$88.7 SBD 709

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$600 SBD 4,795

77.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$601 SBD 4,805

10.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$626 SBD 5,005

201.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,245 SBD 9,953

-17.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$87.3K SBD 698.3K

-95.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$400 SBD 3,199

69.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.33

-33.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gizo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $600 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $55.0 in Gizo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $356 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $600 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,175 in Gizo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Gizo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.