Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Lucia

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Lucia: $1,276 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Lucia
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Santa Lucia Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Santa Lucia

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Lucia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,276 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Santa Lucia $1,276

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,819 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Santa Lucia $1,819

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,361 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Santa Lucia $2,361

Medellin costs about 28% more than Santa Lucia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Santa Lucia is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.83 CUP 236

-17.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$30.34 CUP 728

55.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.98 CUP 167

36.10%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.35 CUP 80.5

-10.15%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.11 CUP 26.66

62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.92 CUP 22.18

53.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.04 CUP 48.84

55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.96 CUP 71.1

94.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.92 CUP 46.07

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.87 CUP 44.95

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.53 CUP 36.83

15.69%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.60 CUP 86.4

-19.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.21 CUP 149

64.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.91 CUP 142

67.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.15 CUP 268

25.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.75 CUP 65.9

44.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.57 CUP 37.59

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.06 CUP 49.49

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$2.19 CUP 52.6

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.95 CUP 46.77

0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.79 CUP 42.87

-11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.02 CUP 24.46

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.03 CUP 24.62

20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.97 CUP 95.3

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.12 CUP 291

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.63 CUP 39.10

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.36 CUP 56.7

-4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.21 CUP 5.00

457.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$24.63 CUP 591

214.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.27 CUP 78.5

-61.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.38 CUP 9.18

439.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$15.19 CUP 365

-43.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.02 CUP 24.46

32.35%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

-51.23%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$80.4K CUP 1.9M

-56.89%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$34.72 CUP 833

388.62%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$14.96 CUP 359

-9.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$251 CUP 6,021

-88.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$40.36 CUP 969

8.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$14.78 CUP 355

16.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$1.02 CUP 24.50

577.45%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$164 CUP 3,939

385.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,059 CUP 97.4K

124.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$70.5 CUP 1,691

20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$55.0 CUP 1,321

5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$101 CUP 2,416

34.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$106 CUP 2,546

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$548 CUP 13.1K

120.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$344 CUP 8,245

86.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$755 CUP 18.1K

168.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$502 CUP 12.0K

101.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$334 CUP 8,024

1147.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$368 CUP 8,836

418.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$55.8 CUP 1,338

1078.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.94

121.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Santa Lucia

$344 26.9% 46.4% $298

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Santa Lucia

$245 19.2% 17.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Santa Lucia

$301 23.6% 42.3% $89

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Santa Lucia

$164 12.9% 3.2% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Santa Lucia

$150 11.7% 11.5% $19

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Santa Lucia

$31 2.4% 67.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Santa Lucia

$42 3.3% 26.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $548 in Santa Lucia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $30 in Santa Lucia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $245 – making Santa Lucia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇺 Santa Lucia

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.78 CUP (100 CUP = 3.73 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Lucia 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Lucia

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 Lucia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,914 in Santa Lucia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Lucia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Santa Lucia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,276 in Santa Lucia. That makes Santa Lucia about 22% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Santa Lucia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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