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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $772 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,317 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,863 in San Juan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 106% more than San Juan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while San Juan is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$10.49 TTD 70.6

-23.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$57.9 TTD 389

-19.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$8.08 TTD 54.4

16.71%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$3.64 TTD 24.48

-20.05%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.20 TTD 8.04

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.70 TTD 4.74

88.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.18 TTD 14.69

43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$2.90 TTD 19.54

91.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$2.00 TTD 13.45

-29.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$2.31 TTD 15.56

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$2.86 TTD 19.28

-43.01%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$3.76 TTD 25.31

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$6.50 TTD 43.71

49.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$10.22 TTD 68.8

-8.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$9.17 TTD 61.7

46.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$5.61 TTD 37.73

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$2.49 TTD 16.77

-40.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$3.61 TTD 24.29

-41.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$4.39 TTD 29.51

-48.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$0.76 TTD 5.10

151.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$0.75 TTD 5.07

116.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.45 TTD 9.76

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$1.16 TTD 7.79

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$5.47 TTD 36.83

-30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$18.02 TTD 121

-27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$1.50 TTD 10.09

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.96 TTD 19.92

-23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$0.86 TTD 5.77

47.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.90 TTD 6.06

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$14.55 TTD 97.9

-43.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.11 TTD 7.47

14.41%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$36.4K TTD 245.1K

-26.48%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$40.5K TTD 272.6K

-15.08%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$44.96 TTD 302

260.79%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$41.52 TTD 279

-68.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$45.45 TTD 306

-38.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$8.82 TTD 59.4

-30.95%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$404 TTD 2,719

89.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$11.0K TTD 74.1K

-19.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$55.6 TTD 374

52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$36.30 TTD 244

58.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$89.7 TTD 604

46.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$89.9 TTD 605

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.75

90.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $58.0 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $320 – making Medellin 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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 106%, 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 $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,158 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $58.0 in San Juan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Medellin at $1,589. In San Juan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan – 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. 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.