Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $206 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sumba

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $206 in Sumba, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sumba $206

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $279 in Sumba, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sumba $279

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $352 in Sumba, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sumba $352

Medellin costs about 694% more than Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sumba is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.18 FOK 14.59

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$10.26 FOK 68.7

-61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$11.76 FOK 78.7

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.29 FOK 15.35

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.83 FOK 12.25

23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$4.61 FOK 30.85

-74.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.99 FOK 13.34

-32.16%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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 547.7K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$60.3 FOK 403

-53.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$37.84 FOK 253

15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$14.67 FOK 98.2

-52.90%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sumba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 FOK = 0.149 USD

1 FOK = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FOK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Faroese Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 FOK (1 FOK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 FOK (1 FOK = 0.133 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sumba 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sumba

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 Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 694%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $310 in Sumba. 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 $206 in Sumba. That makes Sumba about 87% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 391% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sumba, where all-in costs run around $206, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sumba 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 $206 in Sumba to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.