Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mandeville Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mandeville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $810 in Mandeville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,410 in Mandeville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,011 in Mandeville.

Living in Medellin is roughly 103% more expensive than in Mandeville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Mandeville is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.21 JMD 975

29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$73.7 JMD 11.6K

-34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.94 JMD 1,404

5.37%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.20 JMD 345

33.64%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.08 JMD 170

72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.74 JMD 116

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.15 JMD 338

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.91 JMD 457

96.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$4.12 JMD 648

-65.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.87 JMD 293

28.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.60 JMD 251

6.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.62 JMD 569

-20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.30 JMD 1,775

-10.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.50 JMD 1,020

53.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.33 JMD 1,623

37.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$6.25 JMD 982

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$3.86 JMD 607

-59.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$7.40 JMD 1,163

-70.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.14 JMD 493

-26.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$3.26 JMD 512

-38.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.69 JMD 422

-43.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$3.11 JMD 489

-61.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.52 JMD 239

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$8.13 JMD 1,276

-52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.35 JMD 1,783

23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.85 JMD 448

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$4.11 JMD 646

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.19 JMD 187

10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.13 JMD 491

-30.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.22 JMD 977

33.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.35 JMD 212

0.74%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-36.66%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

9.78%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$94.0 JMD 14.8K

79.51%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$21.95 JMD 3,448

-38.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$50.7 JMD 7,964

-44.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$10.94 JMD 1,719

57.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$13.03 JMD 2,047

-48.96%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$369 JMD 58.0K

117.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,155 JMD 1.3M

12.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$24.13 JMD 3,791

262.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$31.52 JMD 4,952

88.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

79.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$103 JMD 16.3K

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$466 JMD 73.3K

129.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,779 JMD 279.4K

131.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$497 JMD 78.1K

31.82%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mandeville: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $466 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 32% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $74.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $369 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 Mandeville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandeville is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $466 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $369 in Mandeville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandeville – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in Mandeville versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mandeville but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mandeville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandeville is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mandeville are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mandeville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.