Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gros Islet

For one person, living is cheaper in Gros Islet: $1,439 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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

$1,625

/mo nomad

Gros Islet

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gros Islet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,439 in Gros Islet.

Medellin $1,625
Gros Islet $1,439

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $2,150 in Gros Islet.

Medellin $2,412
Gros Islet $2,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,861 in Gros Islet.

Medellin $3,199
Gros Islet $2,861

Living in Medellin is roughly 13% more expensive than in Gros Islet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Gros Islet 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$7.59 EC$20.48

9.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$58.6 EC$158

-19.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.08 EC$24.51

1.76%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.50 EC$12.16

-32.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.86 EC$5.04

-3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.89 EC$5.11

-26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.75 EC$7.42

17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.59 EC$9.69

54.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.65 EC$7.14

-43.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.80 EC$4.85

31.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.99 EC$5.37

-14.57%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$5.13 EC$13.86

-42.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$12.62 EC$34.08

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$15.60 EC$42.11

-37.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$15.31 EC$41.34

-9.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$6.01 EC$16.23

-31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.66 EC$4.48

-7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.25 EC$6.08

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.17 EC$5.87

4.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.16 EC$5.82

-7.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.29 EC$6.17

-27.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$5.46 EC$14.73

-78.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.87 EC$5.06

-33.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$6.04 EC$16.32

-35.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$14.97 EC$40.43

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.41 EC$11.91

-45.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.92 EC$2.48

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$33.6K EC$90.7K

3.53%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$44.8K EC$120.9K

-22.52%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$239 EC$645

-30.20%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$38.38 EC$104

-64.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$56.1 EC$151

-48.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$44.62 EC$120

1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.11 EC$19.19

-1.97%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$18.78 EC$50.7

367.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$10.89 EC$29.40

433.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$75.3 EC$203

84.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$73.3 EC$198

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$610 EC$1,646

68.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$397 EC$1,071

56.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$987 EC$2,665

90.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$637 EC$1,721

58.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$747 EC$2,016

-11.17%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Gros Islet: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Gros Islet

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Gros Islet

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Gros Islet

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Gros Islet

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Gros Islet

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Gros Islet

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Gros Islet

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $610 in Gros Islet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gros Islet pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $59.0 in Gros Islet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $389 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇨 Gros Islet

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

21,660

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Gros Islet 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Gros Islet

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 Gros Islet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gros Islet wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gros Islet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Gros Islet. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $610 in Gros Islet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,439 in Gros Islet – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,439 in Gros Islet versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gros Islet but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gros Islet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gros Islet delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,439 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gros Islet hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gros Islet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.