Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Spanish Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Spanish Town: $1,009 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Spanish Town
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Spanish Town Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Spanish Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Spanish Town

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,009 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Spanish Town $1,009

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,922 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Spanish Town $1,922

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,834 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Spanish Town $2,834

Medellin costs about 62% more than Spanish Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Spanish Town is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$13.69 JMD 2,158

-40.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$74.3 JMD 11.7K

-36.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.42 JMD 1,328

12.83%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.23 JMD 824

-42.45%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.16 JMD 183

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.74 JMD 117

90.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.19 JMD 345

45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.17 JMD 499

81.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$4.21 JMD 665

-64.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.69 JMD 582

-35.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.64 JMD 259

7.93%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.53 JMD 557

-18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.42 JMD 1,801

-10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$6.34 JMD 1,000

55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.17 JMD 1,604

37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$6.07 JMD 958

-34.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$3.82 JMD 602

-59.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$7.56 JMD 1,193

-71.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.97 JMD 469

-26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.23 JMD 509

-39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.03 JMD 320

-21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$3.13 JMD 493

-63.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.46 JMD 229

-15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$9.58 JMD 1,510

-58.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$11.44 JMD 1,804

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.88 JMD 455

-42.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.91 JMD 616

-42.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.28 JMD 202

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$3.11 JMD 490

-34.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$6.21 JMD 979

37.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.41 JMD 222

-4.26%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-22.64%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$32.5K JMD 5.1M

6.60%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$171 JMD 26.9K

-0.65%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$28.96 JMD 4,567

-53.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$52.6 JMD 8,298

-46.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$13.32 JMD 2,101

-48.12%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$360 JMD 56.8K

121.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$8,371 JMD 1.3M

8.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$23.26 JMD 3,667

264.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$31.95 JMD 5,038

81.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$79.1 JMD 12.5K

70.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$104 JMD 16.4K

-6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$624 JMD 98.4K

224.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$513 JMD 80.9K

97.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,178 JMD 185.7K

-44.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.45

15.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Spanish Town: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Spanish Town

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Spanish Town

$383 38% 29.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Spanish Town

$252 25% 19.4% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Spanish Town

$222 22% 31.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Spanish Town

$107 10.6% 36.5% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Spanish Town

$17 * 1.7% 82% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Spanish Town

$27 * 2.6% 53.7% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 79% higher in Spanish Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $74 in Spanish Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $383 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇲 Spanish Town

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

131,056

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Spanish Town 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Spanish Town

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 Spanish Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,514 in Spanish Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $74 in Spanish Town. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,009 in Spanish Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,009 in Spanish Town to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.