Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Simpson Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,879 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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

$1,614

/mo nomad

Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Simpson Bay

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $3,879 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Simpson Bay $3,879

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $6,586 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Simpson Bay $6,586

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $9,293 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Simpson Bay $9,293

Medellin is about 58% cheaper than Simpson Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Simpson Bay sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Simpson Bay by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$19.30 ANG 34.54

-58.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$132 ANG 236

-64.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$13.10 ANG 23.44

-27.48%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.45 ANG 7.96

-30.11%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.96 ANG 5.29

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.92 ANG 5.23

-52.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.45 ANG 9.76

-44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.12 ANG 7.37

33.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$4.09 ANG 7.32

-64.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.75 ANG 4.92

-14.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$2.93 ANG 5.25

-42.66%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$4.50 ANG 8.06

-36.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$24.59 ANG 44.02

-58.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$13.46 ANG 24.10

-29.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$17.21 ANG 30.80

-18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.28 ANG 7.65

-4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.51 ANG 6.29

-57.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$6.55 ANG 11.72

-66.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.07 ANG 9.08

-54.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$4.02 ANG 7.20

-51.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.51 ANG 6.29

-53.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.92 ANG 5.23

-61.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.44 ANG 2.58

-13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$14.87 ANG 26.62

-10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.70 ANG 3.05

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.05 ANG 5.45

-60.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$15.20 ANG 27.21

-91.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.31 ANG 2.34

-0.76%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$506 ANG 906

-66.00%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$34.60 ANG 61.9

-61.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$88.9 ANG 159

-67.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$75.5 ANG 135

-40.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.97 ANG 14.27

-21.20%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$753 ANG 1,348

2.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$11.9K ANG 21.3K

-24.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$49.79 ANG 89.1

73.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$39.25 ANG 70.3

45.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$101 ANG 181

35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$59.8 ANG 107

63.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$2,321 ANG 4,155

-54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$2,246 ANG 4,020

-72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$5,924 ANG 10.6K

-68.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$5,759 ANG 10.3K

-82.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

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 12, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Simpson Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Simpson Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Simpson Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Simpson Bay

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Simpson Bay

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Simpson Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Simpson Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $2,321 in Simpson Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $132 in Simpson Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $466 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

19:47 7:47 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

6,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Simpson Bay 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Simpson Bay is pricier by about 140%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $5,818 in Simpson Bay. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $132 in Simpson Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Simpson Bay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Simpson Bay at $3,879. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Simpson Bay 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.

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