Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yap

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,894 in Yap, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yap outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

Yap

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yap

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,894 in Yap, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Yap $1,894

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,471 in Yap, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Yap $2,471

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,049 in Yap, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Yap $3,049

Medellin is about 13% cheaper than Yap, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Yap sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Yap by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$29.87 $29.87

-72.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$59.1 $59.1

-20.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$4.42 $4.42

-31.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.74 $1.74

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

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 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$5.85 $5.85

-59.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$4.30 $4.30

-58.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.29 $5.29

92.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.04 $6.04

131.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.53 $4.53

-12.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$4.40 $4.40

-64.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$4.31 $4.31

-49.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.53 $4.53

-51.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$5.31 $5.31

-63.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.66 $1.66

-4.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.46 $1.46

-15.07%

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 5,359

$3.87 $3.87

-57.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.04 $3.04

-25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$21.62 $21.62

257.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$7.40 $7.40

-82.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.08 $5.08

68.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.49 $1.49

-9.40%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$4,019 $4,019

747.66%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$3,997 $3,997

767.43%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$80.5 $80.5

110.85%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$81.5 $81.5

-65.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

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

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$24.18 $24.18

250.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$75.6 $75.6

-23.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$80.6 $80.6

67.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$121 $121

-18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$991 $991

21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,004 $1,004

-36.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,016 $1,016

99.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$981 $981

3.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,471 $1,471

183.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,006 $1,006

89.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$262 $262

150.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

400000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yap: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Yap

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Yap

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Yap

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Yap

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Yap

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Yap

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Yap

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $991 in Yap. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.5 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 $59 in Yap. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $261 in Yap – so Yap wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇫🇲 Yap

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

15 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,577

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Yap 15,880 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Yap

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 Yap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yap is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,841 in Yap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yap, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $991 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Yap. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Yap – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,894 in Yap, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,894 in Yap. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.