Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kourou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kourou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $177 in Kourou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $314 in Kourou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $451 in Kourou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 849% more expensive than in Kourou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kourou is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.97 €1.72

26.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$6.79 €5.92

-56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$4.42 €3.85

-6.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.37 €2.06

-32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$8.08 €7.04

-72.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.41 €2.10

-15.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$6.96 €6.07

-77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$2.28 €1.99

-48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$2.00 €1.74

-34.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

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

$177 COP 559.3K

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

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

$813 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,458 €1,270

-27.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kourou: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,458 in Kourou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 Kourou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kourou differ by about 849% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $177 including rent). Kourou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $266 in Kourou to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,458 in Kourou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $177 in Kourou – a 849% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $177 in Kourou versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kourou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kourou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kourou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 849% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.