Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saint-Louis

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Louis: $837 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Louis
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Saint-Louis Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Saint-Louis

🇸🇳 Senegal

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $837 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Saint-Louis $837

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,315 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Saint-Louis $1,315

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,792 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Saint-Louis $1,792

Medellin costs about 94% more than Saint-Louis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Saint-Louis is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.45 F CFA 2,009

140.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$53.3 F CFA 31.1K

-11.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$11.12 F CFA 6,484

-16.91%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.34 F CFA 1,950

-8.68%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.24 F CFA 725

45.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.91 F CFA 529

51.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.68 F CFA 982

92.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.37 F CFA 2,545

27.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.59 F CFA 1,509

-42.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.27 F CFA 158

777.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.65 F CFA 963

3.03%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.40 F CFA 1,399

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$17.50 F CFA 10.2K

-41.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.12 F CFA 5,315

6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.94 F CFA 6,378

27.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.24 F CFA 1,888

27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.85 F CFA 1,079

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.97 F CFA 1,729

-25.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.79 F CFA 1,042

26.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.36 F CFA 791

46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.92 F CFA 535

81.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.09 F CFA 636

8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.68 F CFA 397

82.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.18 F CFA 1,272

77.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$17.00 F CFA 9,911

-18.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.53 F CFA 891

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.33 F CFA 1,942

-27.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.86 F CFA 502

48.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.19 F CFA 1,279

-1.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$16.98 F CFA 9,899

-50.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.61 F CFA 939

-16.15%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$50.3K F CFA 29.3M

-30.90%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$47.3K F CFA 27.6M

-26.73%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$204 F CFA 118.8K

-18.22%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.80 F CFA 6,883

15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$45.79 F CFA 26.7K

-36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$8.37 F CFA 4,882

-16.73%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$326 F CFA 189.9K

142.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$10.2K F CFA 6.0M

-11.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$59.2 F CFA 34.5K

48.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$46.50 F CFA 27.1K

25.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$84.5 F CFA 49.3K

64.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$98.7 F CFA 57.6K

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$433 F CFA 252.2K

137.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.75

25.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Saint-Louis

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Saint-Louis

$290 34.7% 2.5% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Saint-Louis

$261 31.2% 24.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Saint-Louis

$130 15.5% 24.7% $43

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Saint-Louis

$127 15.1% 25.8% $44

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Saint-Louis

$12 * 1.4% 87.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Saint-Louis

$17 * 2% 71.6% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $433 in Saint-Louis. 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $53.0 in Saint-Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $290 in Saint-Louis – so Saint-Louis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇳 Saint-Louis

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

16:13 4:13 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

176,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Saint-Louis 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Saint-Louis

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-Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,256 in Saint-Louis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Louis, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $53.0 in Saint-Louis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Louis – 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 Saint-Louis. 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.