Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Singapore

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $3,454 in Singapore, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Singapore $3,454

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $5,224 in Singapore, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Singapore $5,224

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $6,994 in Singapore, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Singapore $6,994

Medellin is about 54% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Singapore sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Singapore by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-34.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$8.76 SGD 11.22

7.65%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-44.57%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-4.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$1.25 SGD 1.60

5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-62.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-44.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-52.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-1.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-39.85%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-55.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-52.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$2.23 SGD 2.86

0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-31.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-35.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-16.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-73.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-44.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-64.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-50.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-25.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$96.4 SGD 123

-22.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-65.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.80 SGD 1.02

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-49.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-49.40%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-82.82%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-76.40%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$175 SGD 224

-7.32%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$12.45 SGD 15.94

5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$26.64 SGD 34.11

5.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$112 SGD 143

-60.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$12.07 SGD 15.46

35.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-47.50%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-47.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-68.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$81.5 SGD 104

4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$50.6 SGD 64.8

13.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$112 SGD 143

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$130 SGD 166

-26.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-64.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-71.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-68.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-74.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-83.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-90.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-85.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.44

348.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 252% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 58.6% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 5.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 1% $1.6

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 53.9% $90

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 20.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 139% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,916 in Singapore. 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 598% higher in Singapore, 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 $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $457 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Singapore 19,170 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 117%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $5,180 in Singapore. 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $71.0 in Singapore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $3,454 in Singapore. That's a gap of about 117%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore 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, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.