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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,647 in San Salvador, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,459 in San Salvador, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $3,272 in San Salvador, rent included.

Medellin and San Salvador have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.93 $6.93

16.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$43.17 $43.17

11.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.86 $6.86

37.32%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.61 $3.61

-18.56%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.15 $1.15

61.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.84 $0.84

73.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.05 $2.05

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.52 $3.52

62.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.79 $1.79

-19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.82 $2.82

-14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.39 $1.39

22.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.11 $3.11

-7.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.64 $7.64

31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.80 $6.80

46.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.06 $10.06

41.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$5.17 $5.17

-23.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.48 $1.48

6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.87 $2.87

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.55 $3.55

-35.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.90 $2.90

-31.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.35 $3.35

-54.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.96 $0.96

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.93 $0.93

37.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.99 $3.99

-3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.92 $11.92

17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.27 $2.27

-24.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.85 $2.85

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.33 $0.33

278.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$37.84 $37.84

105.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$5.92 $5.92

-77.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.98 $2.98

-27.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$19.69 $19.69

-57.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.17 $1.17

16.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$25.4K $25.4K

8.00%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

34.83%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$131 $131

28.77%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$21.19 $21.19

-35.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$42.39 $42.39

-33.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$32.01 $32.01

42.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$21.78 $21.78

-20.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.86 $4.86

36.83%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$162 $162

394.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,682 $4,682

96.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$67.0 $67.0

30.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$46.89 $46.89

26.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$118 $118

17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$117 $117

-12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$905 $905

18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$775 $775

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,782 $1,782

8.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,375 $1,375

-23.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,731 $2,731

50.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,853 $1,853

-8.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$382 $382

71.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.5

28.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $905 in San Salvador. 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 71% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in San Salvador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $287 – making San Salvador 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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,471 in San Salvador. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $43.00 in San Salvador. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 106% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in San Salvador at $1,647. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Salvador it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Salvador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.