Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Road Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,593 in Road Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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

$1,692

/mo nomad

Road Town

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Road Town

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 Road Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,593 in Road Town, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Road Town $2,593

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $4,460 in Road Town, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Road Town $4,460

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $6,327 in Road Town, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Road Town $6,327

Medellin is about 35% cheaper than Road Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Road Town sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Road Town by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$17.47 $17.47

-52.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$80.2 $80.2

-41.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$7.92 $7.92

19.57%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$4.60 $4.60

-31.96%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$1.67 $1.67

5.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.98 $0.98

44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$4.07 $4.07

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.81 $1.81

214.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$2.25 $2.25

-32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$4.71 $4.71

-51.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$3.05 $3.05

-36.39%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$5.02 $5.02

-38.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.69 $3.69

9.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$3.39 $3.39

-54.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$2.04 $2.04

2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$6.63 $6.63

-65.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$4.79 $4.79

-55.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$3.96 $3.96

-56.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$6.24 $6.24

-81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$1.91 $1.91

-17.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$5.37 $5.37

-27.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$10.95 $10.95

28.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$4.37 $4.37

-73.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.23 $1.23

4.07%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$160 $160

11.01%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$90.3 $90.3

-84.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$124 $124

-75.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$118 $118

-64.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$20.09 $20.09

-16.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$9.82 $9.82

-23.93%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$377 $377

109.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$15.0K $15.0K

-18.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$46.66 $46.66

85.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$54.5 $54.5

8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$128 $128

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$141 $141

-29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,695 $1,695

-20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,369 $1,369

-51.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$4,311 $4,311

-54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$3,608 $3,608

-71.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,698 $1,698

-61.94%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Road Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Road Town

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Road Town

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Road Town

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Road Town

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Road Town

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Road Town

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Road Town

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,695 in Road Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Road Town are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $80 in Road Town. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $274 in Road Town – so Road Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇬 Road Town

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

10:42 10:42 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

12,603 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Road Town 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Road Town

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 Road Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Road Town is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,889 in Road Town. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,695 in Road Town.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $80 in Road Town. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Road Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Road Town at $2,593. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Road Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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