Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grand Turk

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Turk: $334 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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

Grand Turk

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Grand Turk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $334 in Grand Turk.

Medellin $1,639
Grand Turk $334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $516 in Grand Turk.

Medellin $2,413
Grand Turk $516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $697 in Grand Turk.

Medellin $3,186
Grand Turk $697

Living in Medellin is roughly 390% more expensive than in Grand Turk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Grand Turk is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$19.87 $19.87

-59.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$3.90 $3.90

-63.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$12.02 $12.02

-73.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$15.28 $15.28

-62.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$3.66 $3.66

-34.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$6.51 $6.51

-66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.92 $1.92

-29.69%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

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 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$8,035 $8,035

-91.82%

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 Grand Turk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Grand Turk

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Grand Turk

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Grand Turk

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Grand Turk

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Grand Turk

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Grand Turk

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Grand Turk

–

Cost Breakdown

Grand Turk pays about 12 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇨 Grand Turk

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,720

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 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 Grand Turk 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Grand Turk

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 Turk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $334 in Grand Turk, so Grand Turk is about 80% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 92% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 330% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $334 in Grand Turk – Grand Turk is about 80% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $334 in Grand Turk versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Grand Turk but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Turk 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.