Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sun City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sun City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,303 in Sun City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,006 in Sun City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,709 in Sun City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 29% more than Sun City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Sun City is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$12.67 R 206

-36.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$48.01 R 780

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$7.55 R 123

30.99%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.56 R 41.67

22.27%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.20 R 19.53

59.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$1.00 R 16.21

51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.13 R 34.65

46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.88 R 46.82

99.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.35 R 21.99

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.32 R 21.37

88.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.80 R 29.25

-1.67%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.68 R 43.56

10.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$8.95 R 145

12.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.80 R 94.2

74.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$8.81 R 143

62.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.19 R 35.64

89.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.95 R 31.71

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.90 R 30.87

18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$2.13 R 34.62

5.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.78 R 28.88

14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.89 R 30.67

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.49 R 24.16

-21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.37 R 22.25

-4.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.36 R 54.6

16.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$6.10 R 99.0

129.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.85 R 30.13

-5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.45 R 39.85

17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.54 R 25.03

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.97 R 15.78

35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.93 R 15.07

135.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$15.10 R 245

-42.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.54 R 25.01

-11.04%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$37.1K R 602.5K

-24.95%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$33.1K R 538.0K

8.03%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$229 R 3,716

-22.47%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$38.00 R 617

-63.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$38.27 R 622

-22.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$33.47 R 544

34.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$8.38 R 136

-20.64%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$253 R 4,103

221.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$5,666 R 92.1K

62.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$59.3 R 964

50.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$46.87 R 761

25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$108 R 1,754

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$109 R 1,771

-6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$435 R 7,064

144.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$381 R 6,183

74.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$798 R 13.0K

136.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$774 R 12.6K

32.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$903 R 14.7K

363.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$684 R 11.1K

144.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.91

0.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sun City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $435 in Sun City. 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 $48.00 in Sun City. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $226 in Sun City – so Sun City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,954 in Sun City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sun City, 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 $48.00 in Sun City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sun City, where all-in costs run around $1,303, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Sun City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sun City – 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 Sun City. 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.