Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Linstead

For one person, living is cheaper in Linstead: $1,011 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Linstead
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Linstead Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Linstead

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Linstead

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,011 in Linstead, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Linstead $1,011

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,671 in Linstead, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Linstead $1,671

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,330 in Linstead, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Linstead $2,330

Medellin costs about 62% more than Linstead, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Linstead is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$13.70 JMD 2,165

-40.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$74.7 JMD 11.8K

-37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$8.02 JMD 1,267

18.45%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$5.25 JMD 829

-42.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.15 JMD 182

56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.68 JMD 108

107.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.23 JMD 353

42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.21 JMD 507

79.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$4.24 JMD 670

-64.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.87 JMD 611

-38.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.58 JMD 250

12.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.62 JMD 572

-20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.23 JMD 1,774

-9.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$6.48 JMD 1,024

52.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$10.17 JMD 1,607

37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$6.10 JMD 963

-34.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$4.00 JMD 632

-61.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$7.25 JMD 1,145

-69.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$3.08 JMD 487

-29.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$3.30 JMD 521

-40.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.58 JMD 407

-38.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$3.10 JMD 490

-62.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.49 JMD 236

-16.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$9.37 JMD 1,480

-57.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$11.22 JMD 1,772

21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.84 JMD 448

-41.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$3.88 JMD 612

-41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.28 JMD 202

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$3.11 JMD 491

-34.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.19 JMD 977

38.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.40 JMD 220

-3.57%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$43.3K JMD 6.8M

-21.41%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

5.65%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$171 JMD 27.0K

-0.56%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$29.95 JMD 4,732

-54.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$53.4 JMD 8,435

-47.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$13.12 JMD 2,073

-47.33%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$363 JMD 57.4K

119.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$8,207 JMD 1.3M

11.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$23.22 JMD 3,669

264.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$31.14 JMD 4,920

86.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$78.9 JMD 12.5K

70.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$101 JMD 16.0K

-3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Linstead: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Linstead

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Linstead

$387 38.3% 30.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Linstead

$254 25.1% 20.2% $43

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Linstead

$222 21.9% 30.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Linstead

$105 10.4% 37.6% $64

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Linstead

$17 * 1.7% 82% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Linstead

$26 * 2.6% 54.4% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $75 in Linstead. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $387 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇲 Linstead

🕒 Local time

10:57 10:57 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

20,660

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Linstead 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Linstead

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 Linstead: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 62% more than Linstead, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,517 in Linstead. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $75 in Linstead. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,011 in Linstead. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,011 in Linstead to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.