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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.3K

$15.95 JMD 2,513

-49.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 152.3K

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-35.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.8K

$8.81 JMD 1,388

10.90%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,185

$5.22 JMD 823

-44.25%

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

$1.94 COP 6,134

$1.19 JMD 188

63.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,801

$0.69 JMD 109

120.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,759

$2.19 JMD 345

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.08 JMD 486

86.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,304

$4.06 JMD 639

-66.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,534

$3.74 JMD 589

-36.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,366

$1.66 JMD 261

2.41%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,056

$3.61 JMD 570

-20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.4K

$11.58 JMD 1,826

-14.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 34.0K

$6.19 JMD 975

74.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.5K

$10.12 JMD 1,595

45.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.9K

$6.12 JMD 964

-33.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,960

$3.99 JMD 629

-60.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,708

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-71.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,985

$3.11 JMD 491

-28.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,460

$3.23 JMD 510

-36.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,747

$2.64 JMD 416

-43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,755

$3.01 JMD 474

-60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,654

$1.46 JMD 231

-20.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-59.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.6K

$11.32 JMD 1,785

27.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,997

$2.78 JMD 439

-43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,923

$3.96 JMD 625

-28.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,686

$0.81 JMD 128

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 245.3K

$38.60 JMD 6,082

101.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,054

$1.23 JMD 193

4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,602

$3.14 JMD 496

-33.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.2K

$6.15 JMD 970

40.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,096

$1.36 JMD 215

-4.41%

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

$27.7K COP 87.3M

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-36.69%

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

$35.5K COP 112.0M

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

9.59%

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

$176 COP 555.6K

$172 JMD 27.1K

2.44%

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

$13.37 COP 42.2K

$29.66 JMD 4,675

-54.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.3K

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-43.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.2K

$62.6 JMD 9,862

-28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.8K

$17.94 JMD 2,827

-4.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.6K

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-53.56%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$367 JMD 57.8K

116.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.5M

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

8.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 270.1K

$23.88 JMD 3,764

258.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 184.5K

$31.86 JMD 5,020

83.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 430.1K

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

72.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 325.4K

$102 JMD 16.1K

1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$972 JMD 153.2K

9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$563 JMD 88.7K

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

-4.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

-18.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 13.0M

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

41.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

-17.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$757 JMD 119.3K

-12.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.45

15.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 14% 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 $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $384 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

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $367 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,684 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.