Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Juan del Sur Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Juan del Sur

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,053 in San Juan del Sur, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,662 in San Juan del Sur, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,271 in San Juan del Sur, rent included.

Medellin costs about 60% more than San Juan del Sur, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while San Juan del Sur is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.24 NIO 155

89.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$33.90 NIO 1,242

41.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.62 NIO 206

75.98%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.56 NIO 93.8

22.27%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.90 NIO 32.79

112.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.73 NIO 26.56

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.46 NIO 53.5

113.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.97 NIO 72.0

191.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.24 NIO 45.33

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.49 NIO 54.6

67.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.22 NIO 44.54

45.08%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.29 NIO 83.7

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$7.77 NIO 285

29.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.45 NIO 236

56.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$7.21 NIO 264

98.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.62 NIO 133

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.57 NIO 21.05

182.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.85 NIO 67.9

21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.19 NIO 80.3

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$3.14 NIO 115

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.20 NIO 80.5

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.00 NIO 36.60

17.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.02 NIO 37.51

28.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.59 NIO 94.7

50.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$9.74 NIO 357

43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.41 NIO 51.6

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.33 NIO 85.2

23.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.68 NIO 61.5

-22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.60 NIO 58.6

36.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.68 NIO 245

30.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.35 NIO 49.27

1.48%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$23.3K NIO 853.2K

19.49%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$26.3K NIO 962.9K

36.07%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$60.4 NIO 2,212

193.59%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$10.53 NIO 386

31.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$36.64 NIO 1,342

-18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$29.97 NIO 1,098

49.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$8.38 NIO 307

-20.64%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$240 NIO 8,802

238.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,957 NIO 218.2K

54.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$70.3 NIO 2,574

27.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$71.9 NIO 2,633

-17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$131 NIO 4,810

5.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$109 NIO 3,975

-5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$424 NIO 15.5K

150.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$383 NIO 14.0K

72.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$919 NIO 33.7K

105.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$771 NIO 28.2K

33.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$343 NIO 12.6K

97.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.25

6.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $424 in San Juan del Sur. 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 97% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in San Juan del Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $220 – making San Juan del Sur 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 Juan del Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 60%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,580 in San Juan del Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan del Sur, 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 $34.00 in San Juan del Sur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan del Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,053, than in Medellin at $1,681. In San Juan del Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan del Sur – 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 Juan del Sur. 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.