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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,616 in San Pedro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,741 in San Pedro, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $3,866 in San Pedro, rent included.

Medellin costs about 2% more than San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and San Pedro sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, San Pedro by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.51 BZD 19.02

-15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.9K

$30.22 BZD 60.5

59.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,056

$3.05 BZD 6.11

-3.61%

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

$1.86 COP 5,745

$1.41 BZD 2.81

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,487

$1.54 BZD 3.09

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,899

$3.08 BZD 6.15

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.89 BZD 7.79

46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,436

$5.10 BZD 10.20

-71.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,401

$2.45 BZD 4.91

-2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,237

$5.36 BZD 10.72

-68.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,911

$1.85 BZD 3.69

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$11.75 BZD 23.50

-14.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$13.36 BZD 26.71

-25.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.8K

$10.62 BZD 21.24

33.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$14.47 BZD 28.95

-72.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,886

$1.12 BZD 2.23

41.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,635

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,090

$7.76 BZD 15.51

-70.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,179

$6.52 BZD 13.04

-69.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,654

$3.78 BZD 7.56

-60.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,707

$1.23 BZD 2.46

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,953

$1.84 BZD 3.67

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.2K

$23.76 BZD 47.53

-41.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,265

$3.65 BZD 7.30

-53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,454

$4.04 BZD 8.09

-32.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,840

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,023

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,692

$4.96 BZD 9.93

-56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,179

$1.66 BZD 3.32

-18.07%

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

$27.5K COP 84.7M

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

$36.5K COP 112.6M

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

$169 COP 520.1K

$171 BZD 343

-1.56%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.9K

$29.53 BZD 59.1

54.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,001 BZD 2,002

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$747 BZD 1,494

-12.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,745 BZD 5,490

-29.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,984 BZD 3,969

-47.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,706 BZD 5,412

52.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,593 BZD 3,186

6.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,001 in San Pedro. 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 $30.00 in San Pedro. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $484 in San Pedro – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 2%, 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 $2,424 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 61% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in San Pedro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro, where all-in costs run around $1,616, than in Medellin at $1,641. In San Pedro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro – 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 San Pedro. 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.