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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $3,498 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 24% below, Kingston is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.61 JMD 1,192

-21.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$62.0 JMD 9,707

-46.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.80 JMD 1,379

-19.43%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$4.36 JMD 682

-60.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.32 JMD 207

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.74 JMD 117

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.57 JMD 403

-34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.20 JMD 501

-4.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$4.36 JMD 684

-75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$3.66 JMD 573

-65.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.57 JMD 246

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.47 JMD 543

-36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$11.19 JMD 1,754

-60.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.42 JMD 1,007

-12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.82 JMD 1,225

13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$5.96 JMD 933

-60.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$3.13 JMD 491

-66.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$4.30 JMD 673

-65.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.96 JMD 464

-53.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.03 JMD 317

-43.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.01 JMD 315

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$3.12 JMD 489

-71.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.45 JMD 227

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-74.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$11.29 JMD 1,769

-5.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.90 JMD 454

-58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.20 JMD 502

-22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.89 JMD 140

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-14.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.12 JMD 176

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$3.15 JMD 494

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.19 JMD 971

25.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.28 JMD 201

-25.78%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-58.02%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-21.58%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$163 JMD 25.5K

-49.48%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$22.49 JMD 3,523

-57.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-52.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-62.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$15.50 JMD 2,428

22.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-69.58%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$222 JMD 34.8K

39.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

143.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$25.73 JMD 4,032

127.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$25.24 JMD 3,955

28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

41.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

43.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$880 JMD 137.9K

-45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$451 JMD 70.7K

-16.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

-58.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

-39.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

-2.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

-44.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$732 JMD 114.7K

-30.10%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 43% 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 $188 vs $353 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 43% 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, Kingston earns 43% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 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 88% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,451 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 $1,013 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 43% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.