Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tortola

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,450 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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

$1,692

/mo nomad

Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tortola

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,450 in Tortola, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Tortola $2,450

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $4,150 in Tortola, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Tortola $4,150

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $5,850 in Tortola, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Tortola $5,850

Medellin is about 31% cheaper than Tortola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Tortola sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Tortola by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$21.84 $21.84

-61.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$82.2 $82.2

-43.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$14.95 $14.95

-36.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$8.04 $8.04

-61.07%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$1.85 $1.85

-4.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$1.36 $1.36

4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.89 $3.89

-19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$4.95 $4.95

15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$2.93 $2.93

-47.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$4.55 $4.55

-49.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$6.97 $6.97

-72.17%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$7.22 $7.22

-57.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$12.88 $12.88

-22.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$12.86 $12.86

-18.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$19.74 $19.74

-29.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.00 $2.00

102.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$3.98 $3.98

-61.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$2.06 $2.06

1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$7.47 $7.47

-69.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$6.16 $6.16

-65.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$5.09 $5.09

-66.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$11.85 $11.85

-90.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$4.93 $4.93

-20.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$11.16 $11.16

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$3.95 $3.95

-55.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$98.7 $98.7

80.13%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$102 $102

-86.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$99.1 $99.1

-68.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$19.62 $19.62

-61.93%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,403 $1,403

-4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,262 $1,262

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$3,283 $3,283

-39.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$3,099 $3,099

-66.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$10.9K $10.9K

-82.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,619 $1,619

-60.09%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tortola: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Tortola

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Tortola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Tortola

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Tortola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Tortola

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Tortola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Tortola

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,403 in Tortola. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tortola are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $82 in Tortola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $491 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇬 Tortola

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,449

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Tortola 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tortola

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 Tortola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tortola is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,675 in Tortola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,403 in Tortola. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Tortola, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $82 in Tortola. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tortola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.