Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tumon

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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

$1,625

/mo nomad

Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tumon

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $429 in Tumon, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Tumon $429

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,002 in Tumon, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Tumon $2,002

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,574 in Tumon, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Tumon $3,574

Medellin costs about 279% more than Tumon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tumon is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$25.37 $25.37

-67.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$51.7 $51.7

-9.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$12.95 $12.95

-28.65%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,597

$6.01 $6.01

-49.25%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$3.05 $3.05

-40.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,346

$3.03 $3.03

-54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$7.12 $7.12

-54.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$8.88 $8.88

-37.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,721

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,446

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,333

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,302

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,994

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,259

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,242

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,887

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,213

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$6.87 $6.87

-81.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$1.94 $1.94

10.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$29.1K $29.1K

19.10%

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

$167 COP 524.1K

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,433 $2,433

-58.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 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 19, 2026

Last update for Tumon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Tumon

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Tumon

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Tumon

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Tumon

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Tumon

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Tumon

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Tumon

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $52.0 in Tumon. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇺 Tumon

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

15 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,943

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,145 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,535 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tumon 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tumon

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 Tumon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 279%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $643 in Tumon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $429 in Tumon. That's a gap of about 279%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $52.0 in Tumon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumon, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Tumon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tumon – 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 Tumon. 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.