Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: $746 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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 Lucía Milpas Altas

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

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 Lucía Milpas Altas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $746 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $746

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,243 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $1,243

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,740 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $1,740

Medellin costs about 127% more than Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$6.96 Q 53.1

19.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$49.15 Q 375

-5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$7.74 Q 59.1

22.35%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$3.27 Q 24.97

-4.28%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$1.15 Q 8.79

53.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.99 Q 7.60

43.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.33 Q 25.44

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$4.73 Q 36.11

20.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$2.00 Q 15.24

-23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$3.14 Q 23.99

-27.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$2.06 Q 15.70

-5.83%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.38 Q 18.17

28.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$6.25 Q 47.73

59.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$9.29 Q 71.0

12.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$13.40 Q 102

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.83 Q 29.27

5.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.66 Q 12.69

-7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$2.87 Q 21.88

-26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.61 Q 12.28

42.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.54 Q 11.76

37.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$2.19 Q 16.73

-21.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$0.74 Q 5.68

58.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$1.17 Q 8.90

35.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$4.04 Q 30.85

-3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$8.02 Q 61.3

75.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.74 Q 13.32

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$2.61 Q 19.95

3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$5.31 Q 40.51

-65.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$10.43 Q 79.6

-22.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.33 Q 10.15

-3.76%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$27.7K Q 211.9K

24.11%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$25.6K Q 195.5K

33.29%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$71.8 Q 548

147.47%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$28.67 Q 219

-51.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$46.52 Q 355

-33.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$6.66 Q 50.8

12.16%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$337 Q 2,574

134.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$6,557 Q 50.1K

87.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$48.91 Q 373

76.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$46.72 Q 357

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$119 Q 910

16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$115 Q 874

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.62

-5.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $49 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $279 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – so Santa Lucía Milpas Altas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇹 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

03:56 3:56 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

12,234

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.56 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

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 Lucía Milpas Altas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 127%, 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 $1,119 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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 $49 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 $746 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.