Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jaco Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jaco Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,018 in Medellin versus $1,344 in Jaco Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $2,155 in Jaco Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $2,967 in Jaco Beach.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 24% less than in Jaco Beach, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Jaco Beach is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$7.19 ₡3,242

-17.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$40.16 ₡18.1K

-17.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$8.88 ₡4,006

-19.82%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,458

$3.86 ₡1,740

-55.70%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$1.58 ₡711

-33.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.99 ₡449

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$2.93 ₡1,322

-41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.89 ₡1,304

9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.39 ₡628

-23.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.98 ₡894

-33.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$2.15 ₡971

-38.14%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$2.43 ₡1,095

-6.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$10.04 ₡4,527

-55.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$8.30 ₡3,745

-28.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$10.76 ₡4,853

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$4.56 ₡2,057

-48.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.44 ₡648

-23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$4.29 ₡1,936

-65.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$3.11 ₡1,404

-55.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$1.35 ₡608

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$1.35 ₡608

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.91 ₡411

-1.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$1.74 ₡783

-51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$5.33 ₡2,406

-56.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$14.16 ₡6,387

-15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$2.34 ₡1,054

-50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.94 ₡877

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$1.01 ₡457

-16.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.86 ₡839

-24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$1.79 ₡806

6.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$7.70 ₡3,474

1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.41 ₡638

-33.33%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$37.6K ₡17.0M

-52.63%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$32.8K ₡14.8M

-17.47%

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

$83.3 COP 266.5K

$72.8 ₡32.8K

14.38%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$21.44 ₡9,672

-54.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$43.10 ₡19.4K

-43.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$47.12 ₡21.3K

-46.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$23.97 ₡10.8K

-19.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$9.68 ₡4,364

-57.95%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$446 ₡201.0K

-31.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$6,679 ₡3.0M

-10.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$62.6 ₡28.2K

-4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$50.6 ₡22.8K

-35.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$127 ₡57.3K

-20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$107 ₡48.2K

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$551 ₡248.7K

-13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$503 ₡227.0K

-24.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$1,859 ₡838.6K

-56.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$1,018 ₡459.0K

-30.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$396 ₡178.4K

57.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.17

32.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $551 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $40.00 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $295 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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $551 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $446 in Jaco Beach. 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 $33.00 versus $40.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $1,344 in Jaco Beach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medellin and Jaco Beach are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.