Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,758 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Santa Cruz despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,758

/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 $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,758 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Santa Cruz $1,758

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,778 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Santa Cruz $2,778

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,798 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Santa Cruz $3,798

Medellin is about 8% cheaper than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Santa Cruz sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Santa Cruz by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$12.29 ₡5,523

-35.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$62.6 ₡28.1K

-26.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$10.81 ₡4,856

-12.12%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$4.58 ₡2,059

-32.10%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$2.20 ₡989

-16.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,373

$1.90 ₡854

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$3.31 ₡1,489

-7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$4.36 ₡1,958

26.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$2.38 ₡1,070

-39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$3.16 ₡1,422

-25.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$2.48 ₡1,113

-32.26%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$3.56 ₡1,599

-19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$10.50 ₡4,717

-2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$10.51 ₡4,722

-9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$14.15 ₡6,359

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$5.20 ₡2,336

-21.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.07 ₡482

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$4.83 ₡2,170

-55.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$3.91 ₡1,758

-40.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$3.87 ₡1,741

-50.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$3.64 ₡1,636

-54.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$1.13 ₡508

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$3.08 ₡1,383

-59.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$5.78 ₡2,596

-30.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$20.18 ₡9,068

-33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$2.88 ₡1,294

-40.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,548

$3.68 ₡1,654

-35.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$1.29 ₡581

-6.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,192

$2.50 ₡1,125

-47.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$1.56 ₡701

37.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$8.60 ₡3,864

-1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.56 ₡702

-16.67%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$22.1K ₡9.9M

26.88%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

2.60%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$94.5 ₡42.4K

82.16%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$35.98 ₡16.2K

-62.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$59.8 ₡26.9K

-51.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$71.7 ₡32.2K

-36.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$6.75 ₡3,034

-6.96%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$978 ₡439.3K

-21.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-47.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$72.2 ₡32.4K

19.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$56.1 ₡25.2K

1.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$129 ₡58.0K

5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$132 ₡59.1K

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$912 ₡409.8K

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$665 ₡298.7K

-7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,689 ₡759.1K

12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$1,310 ₡588.5K

-21.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.62

26.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Santa Cruz

$665 37.8% 7.9% $49

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Santa Cruz

$400 22.8% 35.7% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Santa Cruz

$190 10.8% 11.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Santa Cruz

$175 10% 2.9% $5

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Santa Cruz

$227 12.9% 35.1% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Santa Cruz

$15 * 0.9% 83.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Santa Cruz

$85 4.9% 47.4% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $912 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $63.0 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $400 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇷 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,665

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Cruz 1,180 km ≈ 2 h 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 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,637 in Santa Cruz. 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $63.0 in Santa Cruz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Santa Cruz, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Santa Cruz at $1,758. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz 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.

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