Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,169 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montego Bay and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Montego Bay vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Montego Bay $1,169
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,160 per month in Montego Bay vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Montego Bay $2,160
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,152 per month in Montego Bay vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Montego Bay $3,152
Medellin $3,186

Montego Bay is about 29% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montego Bay sits 14% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 JMD 1,755

$8.09 COP 26.1K

37.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

$47.05 COP 151.7K

61.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 JMD 1,316

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-12.32%

Cappuccino

$5.38 JMD 850

$3.01 COP 9,722

78.74%

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

$0.86 JMD 136

$1.80 COP 5,801

-52.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$1.41 COP 4,554

-47.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 JMD 352

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-29.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-44.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 JMD 514

$1.51 COP 4,869

115.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 JMD 418

$2.38 COP 7,667

10.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 218

$1.77 COP 5,712

-22.03%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 553

$2.89 COP 9,320

21.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

$10.19 COP 32.9K

11.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,004

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-35.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 JMD 1,403

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-36.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 JMD 676

$3.97 COP 12.8K

7.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 JMD 404

$1.55 COP 5,005

65.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.18 JMD 1,134

$2.18 COP 7,039

229.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 JMD 405

$2.18 COP 7,041

17.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 JMD 395

$1.96 COP 6,328

27.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 412

$1.59 COP 5,125

64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 JMD 395

$1.15 COP 3,694

117.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 JMD 127

$1.24 COP 4,009

-35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 JMD 1,501

$3.96 COP 12.8K

139.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,812

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-16.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 457

$1.66 COP 5,352

74.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 JMD 621

$2.26 COP 7,281

73.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 JMD 150

$1.17 COP 3,766

-18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 144

$1.27 COP 4,089

-28.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$2.05 COP 6,603

54.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-25.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.35 COP 4,343

2.96%

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

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

28.84%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-4.87%

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

$167 JMD 26.3K

$170 COP 547.0K

-1.75%

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

$22.32 JMD 3,526

$13.55 COP 43.7K

64.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 JMD 7,426

$28.07 COP 90.5K

67.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.62 JMD 6,892

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-0.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 JMD 1,363

$6.91 COP 22.3K

24.89%

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

$365 JMD 57.7K

$797 COP 2.6M

-54.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,368 JMD 1.3M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-8.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.16 JMD 3,659

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-72.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.56 JMD 4,986

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-45.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$135 COP 435.2K

-48.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.4K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 JMD 34.8K

$642 COP 2.1M

-65.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 JMD 150.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-5.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 JMD 93.2K

$657 COP 2.1M

-10.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

10.94

-13.62%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$327 28%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 9.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$236 20.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 10.5% $25

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$220 18.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 192% $422

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$202 17.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 16.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$102 8.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 66% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$61 5.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 5.5% $3.4

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 355% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Montego Bay versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Montego Bay versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

Same time as Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montego Bay Medellin 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montego Bay
Medellin

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

Montego Bay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,753 per month in Montego Bay and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montego Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Montego Bay and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,169 in Montego Bay and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montego Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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