Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sal: $850 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sal
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Sal Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Sal

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sal

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $850 in Sal, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Sal $850

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,313 in Sal, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Sal $1,313

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,777 in Sal, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Sal $1,777

Medellin costs about 90% more than Sal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sal is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$5.51 CVE 540

43.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$44.18 CVE 4,332

4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$11.03 CVE 1,081

-13.87%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.32 CVE 227

34.05%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.54 CVE 249

-27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.09 CVE 107

26.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$4.61 CVE 452

-33.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.07 CVE 301

79.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.58 CVE 155

-8.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.27 CVE 223

3.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.20 CVE 118

40.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.79 CVE 273

2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$9.03 CVE 886

12.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.51 CVE 736

26.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$15.99 CVE 1,568

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.16 CVE 310

28.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.49 CVE 245

-39.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.33 CVE 326

-34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.98 CVE 391

-41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.64 CVE 161

17.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.85 CVE 182

-11.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.55 CVE 152

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.10 CVE 108

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.57 CVE 448

-12.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$6.40 CVE 628

108.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$4.03 CVE 395

-57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.88 CVE 184

26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.99 CVE 96.6

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.08 CVE 204

-36.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$3.08 CVE 302

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$12.65 CVE 1,240

-33.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.38 CVE 135

-5.80%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$60.8 CVE 5,964

182.95%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$49.23 CVE 4,827

-41.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$27.47 CVE 2,694

64.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$115 CVE 11.2K

571.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$30.09 CVE 2,950

187.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$144 CVE 14.1K

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$252 CVE 24.7K

318.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$168 CVE 16.5K

266.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$307 CVE 30.1K

516.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$206 CVE 20.2K

395.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$654 CVE 64.1K

520.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$331 CVE 32.5K

406.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$257 CVE 25.2K

153.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.25

108.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sal: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Sal

$168 19.8% 72.8% $448

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Sal

$296 34.8% 0.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Sal

$110 * 13% 48.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Sal

$78 * 9.2% 54% $92

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Sal

$149 17.5% 11.7% $20

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Sal

$21 * 2.5% 77% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Sal

$27 * 3.2% 52.5% $30

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 $252 in Sal. 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 154% higher in Medellin, 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 $44.00 in Sal. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $296 in Sal – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇻 Sal

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

03:26 3:26 AM

4 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,288

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.2 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, 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).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 98.05 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sal 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sal

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 Sal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,274 in Sal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sal, 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 $44.00 in Sal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sal, where all-in costs run around $850, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Sal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sal – 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 Sal. 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.