Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and St Francis Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and St Francis Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,052 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,736 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,421 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

Medellin costs about 60% more than St Francis Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while St Francis Bay is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$11.21 R 182

-28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$43.44 R 706

10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$3.69 R 59.9

168.02%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.13 R 34.63

46.95%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.10 R 17.81

73.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.79 R 12.85

91.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.14 R 34.83

45.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.86 R 30.23

209.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$0.92 R 14.88

56.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.08 R 17.56

130.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.55 R 25.21

14.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.87 R 46.62

3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.56 R 123

33.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.49 R 89.1

84.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$8.90 R 145

60.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.19 R 35.58

89.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.60 R 26.03

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.74 R 28.34

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.80 R 29.24

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.74 R 28.21

17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.44 R 23.35

6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.30 R 21.08

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.01 R 16.42

29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.28 R 53.2

18.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$5.04 R 81.8

177.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.27 R 20.70

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.81 R 29.47

58.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.59 R 25.79

-23.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.61 R 9.88

114.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.51 R 8.33

329.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$8.50 R 138

2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.36 R 22.15

0.74%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.1K R 342.6K

31.99%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$35.1K R 570.9K

1.79%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$62.8 R 1,021

182.23%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$35.85 R 582

-61.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$44.63 R 725

-33.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$33.06 R 537

35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$12.37 R 201

38.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$9.20 R 149

-27.72%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$183 R 2,972

344.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$6,461 R 105.0K

42.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$73.2 R 1,189

22.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$38.76 R 630

52.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$117 R 1,893

18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$98.1 R 1,593

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$434 R 7,054

144.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$368 R 5,982

80.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$815 R 13.2K

131.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$788 R 12.8K

30.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$909 R 14.8K

360.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$696 R 11.3K

140.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.94

-8.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for St Francis Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $434 in St Francis 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in St Francis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $196 – making St Francis Bay 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 St Francis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 60%, 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 $1,578 in St Francis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Francis Bay, 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 $43.00 in St Francis Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St Francis Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Medellin at $1,681. In St Francis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St Francis Bay – 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 St Francis Bay. 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.