Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $6,072 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $53,200 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
294

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $6,072 in Saint John Island, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Saint John Island $6,072

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $8,298 in Saint John Island, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Saint John Island $8,298

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $10.5K in Saint John Island, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Saint John Island $10.5K

Medellin is about 73% cheaper than Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Saint John Island sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Saint John Island by 346%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$68.8 $68.8

-88.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$148 $148

-68.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$14.73 $14.73

-35.51%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$8.88 $8.88

-66.10%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$3.43 $3.43

-47.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$3.57 $3.57

-60.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$5.13 $5.13

-38.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.90 $6.90

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$3.09 $3.09

-51.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$7.89 $7.89

-69.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$12.03 $12.03

-85.29%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$12.16 $12.16

-76.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$31.60 $31.60

-67.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$32.57 $32.57

-69.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$23.59 $23.59

-40.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$21.89 $21.89

-81.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$4.07 $4.07

-61.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$17.71 $17.71

-87.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$12.22 $12.22

-82.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$7.87 $7.87

-75.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$7.80 $7.80

-79.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$5.07 $5.07

-77.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$3.54 $3.54

-64.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$9.11 $9.11

-56.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$23.35 $23.35

-41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$4.38 $4.38

-62.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$5.87 $5.87

-61.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$6.90 $6.90

-83.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$148 $148

-47.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$30.28 $30.28

-95.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$49.64 $49.64

-82.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.55 $1.55

-12.90%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$46.6K $46.6K

-26.87%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$53.9K $53.9K

-35.63%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$304 $304

-44.18%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$101 $101

-86.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$103 $103

-72.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

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 273.4K

$79.2 $79.2

6.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$49.86 $49.86

16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$86.0 $86.0

56.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$102 $102

-3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$3,997 $3,997

-69.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$3,465 $3,465

-81.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$5,068 $5,068

-59.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$4,501 $4,501

-77.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,513 $4,513

-85.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.1% 440% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Saint John Island

$983 16.2% 231% $686

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Saint John Island

$508 8.4% 140% $297

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Saint John Island

$768 12.7% 353% $599

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Saint John Island

$143 2.4% 15.7% $26

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Saint John Island

$206 * 3.4% 120% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Saint John Island

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $3,997 in Saint John Island. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saint John Island are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $148 in Saint John Island. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $983 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

01:41 1:41 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,170

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Saint John Island 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John Island is pricier by about 270%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $9,108 in Saint John Island. 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 $1,208 there versus $3,997 in Saint John Island.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 231% more in Saint John Island, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Saint John Island at $6,072. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John Island it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $6,072 in Saint John Island. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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