Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,291 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,291

/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 $1,291 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Santa Cruz $1,291

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,999 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Santa Cruz $1,999

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,708 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Santa Cruz $2,708

Medellin costs about 31% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Santa Cruz is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$7.40 JMD 1,169

12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.7K

$63.3 JMD 10.0K

-26.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$6.75 JMD 1,066

40.30%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$5.47 JMD 864

-42.78%

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

$1.77 COP 5,722

$1.14 JMD 181

55.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,615

$0.72 JMD 114

97.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.13 JMD 337

47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$3.20 JMD 506

78.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,965

$4.25 JMD 672

-64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,422

$2.62 JMD 414

-12.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,301

$1.59 JMD 251

22.01%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,934

$3.64 JMD 576

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$11.44 JMD 1,807

-12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.8K

$6.11 JMD 965

71.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.2K

$10.32 JMD 1,630

35.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$5.90 JMD 931

-31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,951

$3.87 JMD 611

-60.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,817

$7.54 JMD 1,192

-72.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$2.97 JMD 469

-22.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,833

$3.31 JMD 522

-36.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,537

$2.61 JMD 413

-34.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,791

$3.03 JMD 479

-61.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,119

$1.43 JMD 225

10.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$9.16 JMD 1,447

-57.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$11.30 JMD 1,785

24.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,707

$2.82 JMD 445

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,785

$4.08 JMD 644

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,822

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,853

$2.42 JMD 383

-25.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,898

$3.19 JMD 504

-33.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$6.45 JMD 1,019

26.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,131

$1.47 JMD 232

-12.93%

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

$34.4K COP 111.6M

$44.0K JMD 7.0M

-21.80%

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

$34.1K COP 110.6M

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

5.91%

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

$178 COP 575.7K

$167 JMD 26.3K

6.73%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$29.71 JMD 4,694

-53.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.6K

$52.1 JMD 8,236

-41.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.9K

$37.49 JMD 5,923

11.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$13.45 JMD 2,126

-44.46%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$364 JMD 57.6K

116.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.8M

$17.7K JMD 2.8M

-30.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.7K

$23.31 JMD 3,683

270.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.0K

$31.30 JMD 4,945

89.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.2K

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

81.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.1K

$104 JMD 16.4K

-5.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$312 JMD 49.3K

114.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$508 JMD 80.3K

103.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$408 JMD 64.4K

58.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.45

15.77%

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 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Santa Cruz

$312 24.2% 53.3% $355

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Santa Cruz

$372 28.9% 21.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Santa Cruz

$248 19.2% 11.7% $26

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Santa Cruz

$170 13.1% 1.7% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2% 38.6% $67

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Santa Cruz

$18 * 1.4% 80.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Santa Cruz

$64 5% 13.2% $7.5

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 59% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $63 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $372 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,217

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.09 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 3,239 COP (10,000 COP = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 3,620 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Cruz 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 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 – Medellin is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,936 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $63 in Santa Cruz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,291, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,291 in Santa Cruz to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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