Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saint-Leu

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

Medellin, Colombia
Saint-Leu, Reunion
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Saint-Leu
🇷🇪 Reunion
$1,502
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saint-Leu

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-Leu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,353 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Saint-Leu $2,353

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,204 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Saint-Leu $3,204

Medellin costs about 13% more than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Saint-Leu sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Saint-Leu by 11%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$27.82 €24.76
-70.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$88.9 €79.1
-47.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$2.87 €2.55
9.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,696
-
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,594
$1.10 €0.98
29.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$7.60 €6.77
-58.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$5.49 €4.89
3.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,943
$1.15 €1.02
33.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,389
$1.24 €1.10
84.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,273
$2.22 €1.98
-12.61%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,889
$4.44 €3.95
-30.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$22.35 €19.89
-55.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.41 €3.04
18.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,929
$1.66 €1.47
-7.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,786
$2.18 €1.94
-3.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$3.28 €2.92
-30.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,803
$2.28 €2.03
-7.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,512
$2.29 €2.04
-25.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,774
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,096
$0.82 €0.73
92.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$14.58 €12.98
-73.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$5.60 €4.98
150.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,682
$1.67 €1.48
5.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,746
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,805
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,827
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,867
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,113
$1.95 €1.74
-34.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.2K
$95.9 €85.4
85.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$10.02 €8.91
38.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.1K
$33.31 €29.64
-7.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.3K
$33.67 €29.96
24.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$10.23 €9.10
-26.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.4K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.1K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.2K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.7K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,115 €992
20.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$788 €701
-15.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$2,049 €1,823
-3.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,353 €1,204
-23.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Saint-Leu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$1,995 €1,775
-67.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4
173.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Saint-Leu
–
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Saint-Leu
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Saint-Leu
–
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Saint-Leu
–
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Saint-Leu
–
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Saint-Leu
–
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Saint-Leu
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu. 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-Leu are about 3.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $89 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $211 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇪 Saint-Leu
🕒 Local time
22:18 10:18 PM
07:18 7:18 AM
9 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
34,893
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Saint-Leu 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Saint-Leu

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-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saint-Leu cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,253 in Saint-Leu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Leu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,115 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Saint-Leu?
Groceries cost about 46% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Saint-Leu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $89 in Saint-Leu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Medellin or in Saint-Leu?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $1,502 in Saint-Leu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Saint-Leu?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,502 in Saint-Leu to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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