Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz, Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Santa Cruz despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Santa Cruz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Santa Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Santa Cruz $1,886

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,900 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Santa Cruz $2,900

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,914 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Santa Cruz $3,914

Medellin is about 10% cheaper than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Santa Cruz sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Santa Cruz by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

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

$1.77 COP 5,704

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,600

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,949

$2.20 AWG 3.94

-30.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,399

$2.64 AWG 4.73

-13.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,281

$4.42 AWG 7.91

-56.11%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,902

$4.78 AWG 8.55

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$8.14 AWG 14.57

22.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$7.69 AWG 13.77

35.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$6.75 AWG 12.08

106.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.52 AWG 8.08

-10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,936

$4.57 AWG 8.17

-66.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,795

$8.12 AWG 14.54

-74.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,407

$6.87 AWG 12.29

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,812

$6.70 AWG 11.99

-68.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,519

$1.89 AWG 3.39

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,779

$3.00 AWG 5.37

-61.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,102

$4.54 AWG 8.13

-65.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$10.34 AWG 18.51

-62.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$19.59 AWG 35.05

-28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,689

$2.55 AWG 4.56

-30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,758

$3.09 AWG 5.54

-12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,810

$1.96 AWG 3.50

-39.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$154 AWG 276

-50.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,835

$19.32 AWG 34.57

-90.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,876

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$19.75 AWG 35.34

-58.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,118

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

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

$178 COP 573.9K

$141 AWG 252

26.44%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$71.3 AWG 128

-80.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$207 AWG 371

-85.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$68.5 AWG 123

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$46.44 AWG 83.1

-63.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$8.39 AWG 15.02

-10.97%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$141 AWG 252

460.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.8K

$78.8 AWG 141

9.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$110 AWG 197

-46.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.7K

$140 AWG 251

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.1K

$137 AWG 245

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,268 AWG 2,270

5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$557 AWG 998

19.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,534 AWG 2,746

28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,407 AWG 2,519

-26.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$3,667 AWG 6,564

-82.38%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,268 in Santa Cruz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Cruz are about 5.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

15,236

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Cruz 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Cruz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,829 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,268 in Santa Cruz. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Santa Cruz, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,886 in Santa Cruz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,886 in Santa Cruz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.