Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Green Island Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Green Island

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,030 in Green Island.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,692 in Green Island.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,353 in Green Island.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Green Island, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Green Island is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$15.56 JMD 2,444

-48.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$74.6 JMD 11.7K

-35.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.92 JMD 1,401

5.61%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$5.43 JMD 852

-45.86%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.24 JMD 195

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.68 JMD 107

114.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.15 JMD 337

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.08 JMD 484

85.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$4.06 JMD 638

-64.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.80 JMD 596

-36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.65 JMD 259

3.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.50 JMD 549

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.23 JMD 1,764

-10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.34 JMD 996

57.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.14 JMD 1,594

40.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$6.09 JMD 957

-34.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$4.01 JMD 629

-60.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$7.45 JMD 1,170

-71.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.00 JMD 471

-23.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$3.24 JMD 508

-38.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.63 JMD 414

-42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$3.14 JMD 493

-61.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.52 JMD 239

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$9.61 JMD 1,509

-60.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.46 JMD 1,800

22.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.84 JMD 447

-39.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$4.03 JMD 633

-32.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.22 JMD 191

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.23 JMD 508

-32.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.13 JMD 963

35.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.40 JMD 220

-2.86%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$45.0K JMD 7.1M

-38.89%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

10.61%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$173 JMD 27.2K

-2.39%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$29.14 JMD 4,578

-53.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$54.0 JMD 8,474

-47.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$13.47 JMD 2,116

-50.63%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$358 JMD 56.2K

124.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,105 JMD 1.3M

13.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$23.80 JMD 3,739

267.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$31.78 JMD 4,991

86.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$77.3 JMD 12.1K

79.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$104 JMD 16.4K

-2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.45

15.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Green Island: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $75.0 in Green Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $385 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 Green Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Green Island differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,030 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,545 in Green Island to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,030 in Green Island – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,030 in Green Island versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Green Island but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Green Island 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.

Expats usually find Green Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.