Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses 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

$1,692

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jeju

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,107 in Jeju, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Jeju $1,107

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,875 in Jeju, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Jeju $1,875

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,643 in Jeju, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Jeju $2,643

Medellin costs about 53% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Jeju is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$7.46 ₩10.1K

11.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$51.4 ₩69.8K

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$5.64 ₩7,656

67.91%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.14 ₩8,325

-49.02%

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

$1.77 COP 5,704

$2.28 ₩3,096

-22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,600

$1.96 ₩2,654

-27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$4.01 ₩5,434

-21.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.03 ₩4,106

88.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,949

$2.22 ₩3,009

-31.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,399

$2.17 ₩2,945

5.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,281

$2.17 ₩2,949

-10.60%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,902

$2.68 ₩3,641

14.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,936

$2.19 ₩2,966

-30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,795

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,407

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,812

$3.04 ₩4,122

-30.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,519

$1.89 ₩2,562

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,779

$2.18 ₩2,954

-46.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,102

$0.44 ₩596

259.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$11.13 ₩15.1K

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,689

$1.83 ₩2,487

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,758

$1.69 ₩2,290

60.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,810

$1.01 ₩1,375

16.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,835

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,876

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,118

$1.32 ₩1,793

-3.03%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

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

$178 COP 573.9K

$209 ₩283.8K

-15.02%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$53.5 ₩72.5K

-74.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$19.48 ₩26.4K

57.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$25.0K ₩33.9M

-50.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.8K

$51.7 ₩70.2K

66.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$29.62 ₩40.2K

100.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.7K

$66.2 ₩89.8K

109.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.1K

$87.9 ₩119.3K

12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$457 ₩620.6K

193.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$383 ₩519.7K

74.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,330 ₩1.8M

48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,129 ₩1.5M

-8.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$10.4K ₩14.1M

-60.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$6,701 ₩9.1M

-71.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,825 ₩2.5M

-64.59%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Jeju

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Jeju

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $457 in Jeju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jeju are about 2.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $51 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $138 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

01:18 1:18 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

469,279

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,357 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD). 1 EUR = 1,524 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.56 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Jeju 15,020 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,660 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $457 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 123% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $51 in Jeju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,107 in Jeju to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.