Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Jose del Monte Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Jose del Monte

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $705 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,083 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,461 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Medellin costs about 133% more than San Jose del Monte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while San Jose del Monte is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.89 ₱244

106.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$16.51 ₱1,035

192.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$2.76 ₱173

241.30%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.87 ₱117

57.22%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.59 ₱37.09

215.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.34 ₱21.38

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.02 ₱64.1

214.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.64 ₱103

248.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.63 ₱102

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.11 ₱69.5

116.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.02 ₱63.7

66.67%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.00 ₱125

44.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.25 ₱329

91.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.50 ₱220

184.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.81 ₱427

108.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.26 ₱141

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.55 ₱97.1

1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.36 ₱148

-8.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.05 ₱65.6

119.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.70 ₱107

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.81 ₱113

-16.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.63 ₱39.49

90.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.53 ₱33.03

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.91 ₱183

31.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.79 ₱551

59.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.97 ₱60.7

76.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.11 ₱132

29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.27 ₱17.10

362.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$11.34 ₱711

586.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.83 ₱51.9

57.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.23 ₱14.46

843.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.96 ₱123

322.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.16 ₱73.0

17.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

30.16%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

90.28%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$126 ₱7,888

34.10%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.27 ₱957

-11.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$23.90 ₱1,498

18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$31.49 ₱1,974

45.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$4.73 ₱296

264.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.15 ₱323

29.13%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$134 ₱8,380

500.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,002 ₱564.3K

2.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$29.14 ₱1,826

199.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$19.99 ₱1,253

197.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$72.7 ₱4,557

91.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$55.7 ₱3,492

83.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$270 ₱16.9K

296.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$171 ₱10.7K

280.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$499 ₱31.3K

286.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$348 ₱21.8K

201.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,557 ₱160.3K

61.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,023 ₱64.1K

66.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Jose del Monte: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $270 in San Jose del Monte. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in San Jose del Monte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $173 – making San Jose del Monte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 San Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 133%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,057 in San Jose del Monte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose del Monte, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $17.00 in San Jose del Monte. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $705 in San Jose del Monte. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Jose del Monte, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Medellin at $1,641. In San Jose del Monte it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose del Monte – 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 San Jose del Monte. 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.