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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $719 in Santa Maria, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,194 in Santa Maria, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,669 in Santa Maria, rent included.

Medellin costs about 134% more than Santa Maria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Santa Maria is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.39 R$27.78

48.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$34.61 R$178

38.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.99 R$36.04

41.49%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.72 R$8.87

81.98%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.03 R$5.30

85.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.61 R$3.15

147.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.54 R$7.95

102.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.86 R$14.76

101.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.96 R$4.96

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.63 R$8.42

52.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.06 R$5.46

66.98%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.11 R$10.86

40.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.15 R$47.14

10.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.80 R$19.56

166.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.06 R$41.53

77.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.32 R$11.95

78.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.46 R$7.54

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.43 R$7.37

57.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.51 R$7.78

49.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.13 R$5.81

80.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.11 R$5.73

38.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.90 R$4.61

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.80 R$4.15

63.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.28 R$11.73

71.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.71 R$39.71

81.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.13 R$5.80

53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.16 R$11.11

32.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.96 R$4.94

27.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$29.62 R$153

171.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.23 R$6.31

6.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.83 R$4.27

163.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.31 R$42.79

4.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.21 R$6.24

13.22%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.8K R$117.2K

22.33%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.0K R$165.1K

11.62%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$52.1 R$269

240.11%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$12.33 R$63.6

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$15.98 R$82.3

85.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$23.58 R$121

90.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$11.62 R$59.9

47.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.53 R$28.48

20.25%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$157 R$809

417.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,943 R$15.2K

212.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$49.64 R$256

80.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$41.77 R$215

41.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$92.8 R$478

48.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$61.2 R$315

67.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$286 R$1,476

270.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$162 R$836

308.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$632 R$3,258

198.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$375 R$1,931

174.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,943 R$10.0K

115.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$668 R$3,444

150.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$633 R$3,263

7.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $286 in Santa Maria. 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 7% 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 $35.00 in Santa Maria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $187 – making Santa Maria 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 Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 134%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,079 in Santa Maria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Maria, 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 $35.00 in Santa Maria. 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 $719 in Santa Maria. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Maria, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Santa Maria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Maria – 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 Maria. 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.