Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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

$1,639

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in St John

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $322 in St John, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
St John $322

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $927 in St John, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
St John $927

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,531 in St John, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
St John $1,531

Medellin costs about 409% more than St John.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while St John is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$20.06 $20.06

-59.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$174 $174

-73.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$7.14 $7.14

-57.84%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$2.94 $2.94

-38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$1.96 $1.96

-28.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$8.05 $8.05

-60.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$8.09 $8.09

-28.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.62 $1.62

-16.67%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.5K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.3K $13.3K

-31.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$12.8K $12.8K

-67.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$5,075 $5,075

-87.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.05

55.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for St John: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

St John

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

St John

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in St John are about 7.7 times higher, 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 $174 in St John. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

22:49 10:49 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,743

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin St John 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 409% more than St John, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $483 in St John. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $322 in St John. That makes St John about 80% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $174 in St John. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $322, than in Medellin at $1,639. In St John it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $322 in St John to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.