Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and May Pen Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and May Pen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $737 in May Pen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $833 in May Pen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $929 in May Pen.

Living in Medellin is roughly 128% more expensive than in May Pen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, May Pen is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.20 JMD 345

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$3.83 JMD 601

-34.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.22 JMD 506

-45.03%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.36 JMD 527

-11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.46 JMD 1,170

35.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$4.92 JMD 772

190.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.57 JMD 247

163.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$4.99 JMD 783

-67.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$6.25 JMD 980

-64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.95 JMD 305

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.88 JMD 295

8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.95 JMD 307

-21.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$3.10 JMD 487

-62.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$2.82 JMD 442

-53.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.26 JMD 355

-23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.35 JMD 212

1.48%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$177 COP 553.2K

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$42.36 JMD 6,646

-67.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$53.0 JMD 8,313

-43.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

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

$813 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$15.60 JMD 2,448

473.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$21.83 JMD 3,424

170.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$41.48 JMD 6,507

233.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$54.5 JMD 8,546

87.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$284 JMD 44.5K

133.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

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 May Pen: September 12, 2026

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 May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,105 in May Pen 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $737 in May Pen – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $737 in May Pen versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but May Pen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $737 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes May Pen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find May Pen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.