Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in May Pen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $722 in May Pen.

Medellin $1,639
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $818 in May Pen.

Medellin $2,413
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $914 in May Pen.

Medellin $3,186
May Pen $914

Living in Medellin is roughly 127% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, May Pen is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.23 JMD 352

-32.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.69 JMD 584

-35.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$3.12 JMD 493

-43.27%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.37 JMD 532

-14.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.67 JMD 1,212

28.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$5.10 JMD 805

174.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.60 JMD 253

148.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$4.93 JMD 778

-68.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$6.33 JMD 1,000

-65.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.85 JMD 292

17.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.93 JMD 304

1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.93 JMD 305

-17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$3.08 JMD 486

-62.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$2.90 JMD 458

-57.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.26 JMD 358

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.41 JMD 223

-4.26%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

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

$170 COP 547.0K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$42.49 JMD 6,714

-68.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$53.7 JMD 8,479

-47.70%

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

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$15.88 JMD 2,508

433.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$21.63 JMD 3,418

167.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$41.60 JMD 6,572

224.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$52.7 JMD 8,326

85.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$288 JMD 45.5K

122.91%

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

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,755

💱 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 May Pen 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
May Pen

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 May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 56% 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 $2,459 in Medellin and $1,083 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 6% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $722 in May Pen – May Pen is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 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 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.