Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grand Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Bay: $1,176 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Grand Bay
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Grand Bay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Grand Bay

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Grand 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 Grand Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,176 in Grand Bay.

Medellin $1,639
Grand Bay $1,176

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,245 in Grand Bay.

Medellin $2,413
Grand Bay $2,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,314 in Grand Bay.

Medellin $3,186
Grand Bay $3,314

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Grand Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Grand Bay is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.90 MUR 278

37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$64.7 MUR 3,048

-27.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.30 MUR 344

30.14%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.59 MUR 122

16.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.13 MUR 53.2

59.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.67 MUR 31.36

110.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.73 MUR 129

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$4.77 MUR 225

20.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.43 MUR 67.2

5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.74 MUR 34.98

221.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.16 MUR 54.5

52.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.31 MUR 109

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$20.96 MUR 988

-51.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$6.27 MUR 296

57.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$21.74 MUR 1,025

-35.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.89 MUR 89.2

110.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.97 MUR 92.8

-21.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.40 MUR 66.1

55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.86 MUR 135

-23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.00 MUR 47.22

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.96 MUR 45.36

65.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.69 MUR 32.51

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.53 MUR 24.97

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.41 MUR 302

-38.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.65 MUR 408

58.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.64 MUR 77.1

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.98 MUR 93.2

14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.05 MUR 49.38

11.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$4.28 MUR 202

-70.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$2.45 MUR 115

-16.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$21.15 MUR 997

-59.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.36 MUR 63.9

-0.74%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$34.9K MUR 1.6M

-2.41%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$37.6K MUR 1.8M

-7.88%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$45.94 MUR 2,165

269.29%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$15.52 MUR 731

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$29.26 MUR 1,379

-4.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$59.3 MUR 2,794

-26.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.40 MUR 302

7.97%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$126 MUR 5,934

532.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,744 MUR 365.0K

17.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$60.8 MUR 2,866

39.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$64.0 MUR 3,016

-9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$106 MUR 4,992

27.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$88.7 MUR 4,181

10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$596 MUR 28.1K

102.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$439 MUR 20.7K

46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,038 MUR 96.0K

-0.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,459 MUR 68.7K

-30.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,281 MUR 60.4K

-48.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grand Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Grand Bay

$439 37.3% 31.6% $203

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Grand Bay

$280 23.8% 5.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Grand Bay

$91 7.7% 57.1% $121

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Grand Bay

$131 11.1% 23% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Grand Bay

$144 12.2% 14.9% $25

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Grand Bay

$21 * 1.8% 77.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Grand Bay

$72 6.1% 25.3% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $596 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $65 in Grand Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $280, with Grand Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇺 Grand Bay

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

02:19 2:19 AM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 47.13 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.62 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Grand Bay 14,740 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Grand 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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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 $596 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $126 in Grand Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $65 in Grand Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,176 in Grand Bay versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.