Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and St.James Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and St.James

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $925 in St.James, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,586 in St.James, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,247 in St.James, rent included.

Medellin costs about 82% more than St.James, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while St.James is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$10.49 TTD 70.6

-23.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$87.5 TTD 589

-45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.07 TTD 61.0

9.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.69 TTD 24.83

-15.18%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.00 TTD 6.75

91.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.76 TTD 5.11

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.27 TTD 15.27

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.60 TTD 24.21

59.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.51 TTD 16.90

-42.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.48 TTD 16.67

0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.85 TTD 19.17

-37.89%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.30 TTD 28.92

-31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.50 TTD 43.73

54.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.97 TTD 67.1

1.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.64 TTD 78.3

22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.60 TTD 37.69

-26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$3.12 TTD 20.99

-48.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.72 TTD 25.01

-39.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.17 TTD 28.04

-46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.21 TTD 14.88

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.93 TTD 13.00

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.84 TTD 12.37

-36.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.34 TTD 9.01

-2.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.02 TTD 40.50

-35.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$18.94 TTD 127

-26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.21 TTD 14.88

-21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.99 TTD 20.10

-4.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.05 TTD 7.07

24.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.24 TTD 8.34

76.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$14.61 TTD 98.3

-40.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.17 TTD 7.85

17.09%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$37.5K TTD 252.2K

-25.73%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$40.4K TTD 271.7K

-11.42%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$91.7 TTD 617

93.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$52.6 TTD 354

-73.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$56.1 TTD 377

-47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$8.90 TTD 59.9

-25.28%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$404 TTD 2,716

101.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.8K TTD 72.7K

-15.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$54.3 TTD 365

64.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$52.0 TTD 350

13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$146 TTD 985

-5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$103 TTD 691

-0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.75

90.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for St.James: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $88.0 in St.James. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $354 – making Medellin 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.James: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 82%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,387 in St.James. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $88.0 in St.James. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St.James, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Medellin at $1,681. In St.James it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St.James – 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 St.James. 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.