Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ocho Rios

For one person, living is cheaper in Ocho Rios: $1,089 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ocho Rios
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Ocho Rios Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Ocho Rios

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ocho Rios

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,089 in Ocho Rios, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Ocho Rios $1,089

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,565 in Ocho Rios, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Ocho Rios $1,565

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,040 in Ocho Rios, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Ocho Rios $2,040

Medellin costs about 48% more than Ocho Rios, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ocho Rios is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$9.32 JMD 1,473

-14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$63.4 JMD 10.0K

-27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$6.73 JMD 1,063

41.16%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.07 JMD 486

1.30%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.16 JMD 183

57.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.67 JMD 107

105.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.22 JMD 350

37.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.08 JMD 486

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$3.94 JMD 623

-63.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.78 JMD 439

-15.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.61 JMD 255

4.35%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.58 JMD 566

-20.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.47 JMD 1,813

-11.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$6.19 JMD 978

53.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.14 JMD 1,602

38.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$5.86 JMD 926

-30.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.12 JMD 493

-51.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$6.42 JMD 1,015

-66.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.44 JMD 385

-5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$3.28 JMD 518

-41.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.54 JMD 401

-35.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.85 JMD 451

-60.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.40 JMD 221

-10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$8.54 JMD 1,349

-53.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.25 JMD 1,462

44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.88 JMD 454

-40.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.86 JMD 609

-38.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.95 JMD 151

27.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.22 JMD 193

8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$3.22 JMD 509

-33.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$6.33 JMD 1,000

33.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.43 JMD 227

-9.09%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-35.93%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

7.13%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$169 JMD 26.7K

1.99%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$19.74 JMD 3,118

-32.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$53.6 JMD 8,471

-46.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$11.47 JMD 1,812

-45.25%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$358 JMD 56.6K

115.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$8,091 JMD 1.3M

11.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$23.39 JMD 3,696

269.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$31.00 JMD 4,897

84.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

79.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$104 JMD 16.4K

-5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$378 JMD 59.7K

179.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$188 JMD 29.7K

227.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 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 12, 2026

Last update for Ocho Rios: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Ocho Rios

$188 17.3% 69.4% $428

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Ocho Rios

$353 32.4% 19.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Ocho Rios

$242 22.2% 13% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Ocho Rios

$105 9.7% 38.1% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Ocho Rios

$156 14.3% 7.2% $12

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Ocho Rios

$21 * 1.9% 77.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Ocho Rios

$23 * 2.1% 60.3% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $378 in Ocho Rios. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $63.0 in Ocho Rios. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $353 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇲 Ocho Rios

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

26,503

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Ocho Rios 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ocho Rios

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 Ocho Rios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,634 in Ocho Rios. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ocho Rios, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $63.0 in Ocho Rios. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ocho Rios, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Ocho Rios it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ocho Rios – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ocho Rios. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.