Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jayuya

For one person, living is cheaper in Jayuya: $1,336 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Jayuya, Puerto Rico
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Jayuya
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,336
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jayuya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,336 in Jayuya.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Jayuya $1,336

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,032 in Jayuya.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Jayuya $2,032

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,728 in Jayuya.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Jayuya $2,728

Living in Medellin is roughly 23% more expensive than in Jayuya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Jayuya is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$12.12 $12.12
-33.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$59.8 $59.8
-21.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$7.83 $7.83
21.33%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$5.01 $5.01
-39.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$0.94 $0.94
91.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$1.27 $1.27
11.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$2.02 $2.02
57.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$3.95 $3.95
45.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.97 $1.97
-23.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$3.04 $3.04
-21.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$3.45 $3.45
-48.70%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$5.55 $5.55
-47.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$12.20 $12.20
-16.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$5.89 $5.89
67.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$7.07 $7.07
97.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$7.97 $7.97
-50.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$4.02 $4.02
-61.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$7.06 $7.06
-69.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$5.15 $5.15
-57.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$4.02 $4.02
-51.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.94 $1.94
-18.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$3.94 $3.94
-70.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.99 $1.99
-37.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$11.16 $11.16
-64.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$14.75 $14.75
-7.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$2.10 $2.10
-20.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$3.56 $3.56
-36.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$0.87 $0.87
55.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$56.3K $56.3K
-39.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$34.9K $34.9K
-0.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$40.43 $40.43
-66.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$68.7 $68.7
-59.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$9.02 $9.02
-23.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$69.5 $69.5
21.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$49.91 $49.91
16.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$90.8 $90.8
48.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$152 $152
-35.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$498 $498
142.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$445 $445
44.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$651 $651
211.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$555 $555
82.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$849 $849
391.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$794 $794
140.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Jayuya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,454 $1,454
-54.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.27
107.59%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jayuya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Jayuya
$445 30.7% $197
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Jayuya
$394 32.6% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Jayuya
$109 * 48.3% $102
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Jayuya
$207 22.3% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Jayuya
$163 3.6% $6
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Jayuya
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Jayuya
$18 * 68.6% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $498 in Jayuya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jayuya pays about 2.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $60 in Jayuya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $394 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇷 Jayuya
🕒 Local time
10:22 10:22 AM
11:22 11:22 AM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
15,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Jayuya 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Jayuya

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 Jayuya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Jayuya?
Medellin and Jayuya differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $1,336 including rent). Jayuya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 55% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Jayuya?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $498 in Jayuya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $60 in Jayuya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Jayuya?
All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,336 in Jayuya – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to Jayuya?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Jayuya gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Jayuya?
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.

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