Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port Vila

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,148 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,148

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Port Vila

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $3,148 in Port Vila, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Port Vila $3,148

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $4,290 in Port Vila, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Port Vila $4,290

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $5,432 in Port Vila, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Port Vila $5,432

Medellin is about 49% cheaper than Port Vila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Port Vila sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Port Vila by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$12.57 VUV 1,474

-36.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$55.9 VUV 6,558

-17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$14.47 VUV 1,697

-34.35%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.99 VUV 468

-22.06%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.30 VUV 270

-20.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.35 VUV 276

-41.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.14 VUV 603

-40.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.16 VUV 839

-23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.73 VUV 320

-46.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.97 VUV 231

19.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.63 VUV 426

-53.72%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$6.30 VUV 739

-54.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$17.57 VUV 2,061

-42.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$16.60 VUV 1,947

-42.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$13.68 VUV 1,604

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$7.13 VUV 837

-42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.15 VUV 252

-30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.86 VUV 453

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$9.44 VUV 1,107

-75.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$9.13 VUV 1,071

-78.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.47 VUV 407

-52.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.58 VUV 303

-56.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.20 VUV 140

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$9.06 VUV 1,063

-55.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.51 VUV 1,467

6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.45 VUV 287

-30.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.70 VUV 316

-12.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.29 VUV 151

-6.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$68.6 VUV 8,052

11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.57 VUV 302

-48.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.88 VUV 103

143.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$5.19 VUV 609

63.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.76 VUV 206

-26.14%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$22.8K VUV 2.7M

22.56%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$37.9K VUV 4.5M

-6.65%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$636 VUV 74.6K

-72.93%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$22.30 VUV 2,615

-40.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$362 VUV 42.4K

-92.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$67.7 VUV 7,936

-33.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$16.93 VUV 1,986

0.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$631 VUV 74.0K

22.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,973 VUV 818.0K

29.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$41.45 VUV 4,862

108.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$67.0 VUV 7,856

-14.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$86.0 VUV 10.1K

58.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$102 VUV 12.0K

-4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,549 VUV 181.7K

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,120 VUV 131.3K

-44.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$3,413 VUV 400.3K

-44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,886 VUV 221.3K

-45.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$5,917 VUV 694.1K

-31.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,162 VUV 253.6K

-22.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$678 VUV 79.5K

-3.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.18

77.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.6% 81.8% $504

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Port Vila

$476 15.1% 61.7% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Port Vila

$1K 32.4% 376% $805

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Port Vila

$134 4.2% 21.5% $37

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Port Vila

$250 8% 48.7% $82

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Port Vila

$81 2.6% 13.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2% 17% $9.8

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 $1,549 in Port Vila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Port Vila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $56.0 in Port Vila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $476 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,039 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Port Vila 12,980 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Port Vila

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 Port Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Vila is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $4,722 in Port Vila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $56.0 in Port Vila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $3,148 in Port Vila. That's a gap of about 95%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Port Vila at $3,148. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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