Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Lucia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Lucia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,293 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,823 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,353 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

Medellin costs about 30% more than Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Santa Lucia is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$10.18 CUP 244

-21.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$29.76 CUP 714

60.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.16 CUP 172

38.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.39 CUP 81.5

-7.67%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.12 CUP 26.92

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.92 CUP 22.10

64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.96 CUP 47.05

59.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.91 CUP 69.8

97.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.93 CUP 46.20

-25.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.80 CUP 43.27

38.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.48 CUP 35.56

19.59%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.64 CUP 87.4

-18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$6.25 CUP 150

61.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.72 CUP 137

76.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.08 CUP 266

29.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.78 CUP 66.6

48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.53 CUP 36.79

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.02 CUP 48.43

11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.19 CUP 52.7

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.97 CUP 47.25

3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.80 CUP 43.13

-14.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.02 CUP 24.39

14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.02 CUP 24.53

28.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.11 CUP 98.7

-5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$11.84 CUP 284

18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.64 CUP 39.30

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.34 CUP 56.1

22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.18 CUP 4.30

577.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$25.29 CUP 607

218.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.21 CUP 77.1

-59.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.39 CUP 9.27

461.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$15.03 CUP 361

-42.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.07 CUP 25.65

28.04%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$70.9K CUP 1.7M

-60.76%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$79.0K CUP 1.9M

-54.72%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$34.71 CUP 833

410.80%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$15.23 CUP 366

-8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$249 CUP 5,970

-88.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$40.13 CUP 963

11.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$15.14 CUP 363

13.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$1.02 CUP 24.45

551.96%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$168 CUP 4,026

384.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,017 CUP 96.4K

128.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$69.7 CUP 1,672

28.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$55.6 CUP 1,335

6.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$98.2 CUP 2,356

40.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$107 CUP 2,561

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$558 CUP 13.4K

90.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$353 CUP 8,474

87.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$752 CUP 18.1K

151.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$505 CUP 12.1K

103.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$345 CUP 8,282

1112.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$368 CUP 8,833

355.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$56.3 CUP 1,351

1103.75%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $558 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 run about 1104% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Santa Lucia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $243 – making Santa Lucia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 30%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,939 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $30.00 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 $1,681 in Medellin and $1,293 in Santa Lucia. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.