Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,625

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Santa Rita $1,784

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,706 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Santa Rita $2,706

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,628 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Santa Rita $3,628

Medellin is about 9% cheaper than Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Santa Rita sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Santa Rita by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$20.09 $20.09

-58.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$75.3 $75.3

-37.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.16 $6.16

50.00%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$5.04 $5.04

-39.48%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.48 $2.48

-27.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$2.43 $2.43

-43.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$7.90 $7.90

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$9.88 $9.88

-43.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$3.85 $3.85

-61.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$4.24 $4.24

-44.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.63 $2.63

-35.36%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.84 $3.84

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$19.70 $19.70

-48.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.46 $6.46

50.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.92 $9.92

40.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$4.76 $4.76

-13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.69 $2.69

-43.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.50 $4.50

-49.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$4.08 $4.08

-51.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.77 $2.77

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.00 $2.00

-41.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.77 $2.77

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.73 $1.73

38.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$32.63 $32.63

-74.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.39 $1.39

-2.88%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$251 $251

-33.58%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$89.9 $89.9

-84.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$78.4 $78.4

-62.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$101 $101

-55.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$900 $900

14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$612 $612

1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,982 $1,982

-5.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,102 $1,102

-8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$303 $303

462.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$5,588 $5,588

-88.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $900 in Santa Rita. 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 742% higher in Santa Rita, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $75.0 in Santa Rita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $333 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

01:47 1:47 AM

15 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

7,500

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Rita 15,060 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Rita

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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Rita is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,676 in Santa Rita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Santa Rita, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $75.0 in Santa Rita. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Santa Rita at $1,784. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Rita it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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