Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kingstown

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingstown: $1,315 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Kingstown
🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$1,315
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kingstown

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,315 in Kingstown, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Kingstown $1,315

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,996 in Kingstown, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Kingstown $1,996

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,677 in Kingstown, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Kingstown $2,677

Medellin costs about 25% more than Kingstown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kingstown is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$6.46 EC$17.44
25.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$36.91 EC$99.7
27.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$10.59 EC$28.59
-10.29%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$3.98 EC$10.75
-24.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.30 EC$6.22
-21.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$1.87 EC$5.05
-24.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.64 EC$4.44
93.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.18 EC$5.87
163.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$3.12 EC$8.43
-51.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$2.07 EC$5.60
14.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$1.47 EC$3.97
20.41%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$4.48 EC$12.08
-35.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$12.92 EC$34.90
-21.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$3.92 EC$10.58
151.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$12.13 EC$32.76
15.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$9.49 EC$25.63
-58.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$3.48 EC$9.39
-55.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$9.56 EC$25.81
-77.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$5.84 EC$15.76
-62.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$3.89 EC$10.51
-49.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$3.93 EC$10.62
-59.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$2.74 EC$7.41
-58.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$2.29 EC$6.17
-45.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$4.05 EC$10.93
-2.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$16.43 EC$44.37
-16.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$2.69 EC$7.26
-38.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.39 EC$6.45
-5.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$1.22 EC$3.29
-4.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$50.6 EC$137
53.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$11.00 EC$29.70
-88.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$1.90 EC$5.12
7.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$29.81 EC$80.5
-71.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$3.17 EC$8.56
-57.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$37.7K EC$101.7K
-9.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$30.9K EC$83.5K
12.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$73.6 EC$199
130.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$34.52 EC$93.2
-60.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$52.6 EC$142
-46.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$32.25 EC$87.1
35.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$4.54 EC$12.27
278.63%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$4.61 EC$12.46
49.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$104 EC$280
668.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$63.7 EC$172
33.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$62.7 EC$169
-7.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$74.3 EC$201
81.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$92.1 EC$249
6.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$287 EC$776
320.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$329 EC$888
94.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$544 EC$1,470
272.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$485 EC$1,310
108.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$598 EC$1,614
597.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$607 EC$1,638
214.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kingstown
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,081 EC$2,918
-39.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
7.5
45.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kingstown: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Kingstown
$329 48.7% $312
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Kingstown
$415 39.8% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Kingstown
$161 23.9% $51
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Kingstown
$160 5.4% $9.1
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Kingstown
$132 22% $37
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Kingstown
$76 18.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Kingstown
$41 27.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $287 in Kingstown. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Kingstown, 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 $37 in Kingstown. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $415 in Kingstown – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇻🇨 Kingstown
🕒 Local time
02:03 2:03 AM
03:03 3:03 AM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
25,720 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kingstown 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kingstown

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 Kingstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingstown cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,972 in Kingstown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kingstown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 35% less in Kingstown. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $104 in Kingstown. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Kingstown?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kingstown, where all-in costs run around $1,315, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kingstown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Kingstown more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kingstown – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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