Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gros Islet Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gros Islet

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,422 in Gros Islet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,157 in Gros Islet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,893 in Gros Islet.

Living in Medellin is roughly 21% more expensive than in Gros Islet, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Gros Islet 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$7.33 EC$19.80

9.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$58.1 EC$157

-16.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$9.36 EC$25.27

4.38%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.32 EC$11.66

-32.64%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.87 EC$5.04

3.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.88 EC$5.07

-19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.83 EC$7.65

9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.67 EC$9.91

56.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$2.60 EC$7.03

-47.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.74 EC$4.69

37.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.98 EC$5.36

-14.14%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$4.89 EC$13.21

-41.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$12.78 EC$34.52

-22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$15.61 EC$42.14

-30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$15.76 EC$42.54

-6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$5.86 EC$15.83

-30.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.65 EC$4.45

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.25 EC$6.07

-5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.16 EC$5.82

2.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.16 EC$5.83

-5.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.17 EC$5.85

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$5.51 EC$14.89

-78.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.80 EC$4.86

-35.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.05 EC$16.33

-35.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$14.94 EC$40.33

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$4.54 EC$12.27

-37.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.92 EC$2.48

27.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$33.6K EC$90.7K

-17.66%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$43.5K EC$117.6K

-18.44%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$239 EC$646

-26.38%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$38.63 EC$104

-65.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$55.6 EC$150

-46.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$43.57 EC$118

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.93 EC$18.71

-10.53%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$18.17 EC$49.05

371.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$11.00 EC$29.71

431.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$74.1 EC$200

84.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$75.3 EC$203

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$589 EC$1,589

80.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$403 EC$1,087

68.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$998 EC$2,694

101.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$651 EC$1,759

79.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$734 EC$1,983

-9.43%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gros Islet: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $589 in Gros Islet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gros Islet pays 10% 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 $58.0 in Gros Islet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $387 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 Gros Islet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gros Islet wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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 10% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $589 in Gros Islet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,422 in Gros Islet – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $1,422 in Gros Islet versus $1,716 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 $1,422 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 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.