Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $3,496 in Kingston.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 30% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Kingston is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.0K

$7.46 JMD 1,176

-17.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.0K

$61.7 JMD 9,720

-47.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.58 JMD 1,352

-14.45%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,592

$4.39 JMD 692

-60.82%

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

$1.05 COP 3,416

$1.33 JMD 209

-21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,511

$0.74 JMD 117

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,480

$2.43 JMD 383

-30.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.10 JMD 489

2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,418

$4.33 JMD 682

-75.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,230

$3.49 JMD 551

-62.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,538

$1.64 JMD 258

-14.63%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,037

$3.61 JMD 568

-40.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$11.20 JMD 1,765

-60.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.45 JMD 1,016

-8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.82 JMD 1,232

10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,415

$5.99 JMD 945

-61.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$2.98 JMD 470

-62.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,976

$4.21 JMD 663

-63.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,405

$2.90 JMD 457

-53.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,669

$2.02 JMD 319

-44.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,687

$2.00 JMD 315

-43.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,749

$3.01 JMD 475

-71.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,971

$1.51 JMD 238

-39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,619

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-72.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.2K

$11.47 JMD 1,808

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,904

$2.78 JMD 438

-56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,094

$3.04 JMD 480

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

$0.81 JMD 128

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-17.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

$1.09 JMD 171

30.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

$3.22 JMD 507

-40.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.34 JMD 999

20.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,219

$1.24 JMD 196

-20.16%

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

$18.0K COP 58.6M

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-58.50%

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

$26.6K COP 86.6M

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-21.91%

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

$80.8 COP 262.7K

$161 JMD 25.3K

-49.75%

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

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$22.24 JMD 3,504

-55.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.6K

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-53.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.5K

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-63.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$15.91 JMD 2,508

20.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-70.25%

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

$305 COP 992.2K

$222 JMD 35.0K

37.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

139.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.0K

$25.81 JMD 4,068

125.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.7K

$25.49 JMD 4,017

26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.5K

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

42.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.3K

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

43.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$880 JMD 138.6K

-45.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$451 JMD 71.2K

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

-57.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

-38.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

12.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

-36.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$732 JMD 115.4K

-15.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.15

46.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $351 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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Kingston. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,482 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.