Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocho Rios and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ocho Rios: $1,089 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Ocho Rios
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Ocho Rios Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ocho Rios

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,089

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ocho Rios 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 Ocho Rios and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,089 per month in Ocho Rios vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Ocho Rios $1,089
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,565 per month in Ocho Rios vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Ocho Rios $1,565
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,040 per month in Ocho Rios vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Ocho Rios $2,040
Medellin $3,190

Ocho Rios is about 33% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Ocho Rios sits 19% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.32 JMD 1,473

$7.93 COP 25.2K

17.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 JMD 10.0K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

37.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 JMD 1,063

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-29.16%

Cappuccino

$3.07 JMD 486

$3.11 COP 9,866

-1.29%

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

$1.16 JMD 183

$1.83 COP 5,800

-36.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 JMD 107

$1.38 COP 4,360

-51.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 JMD 350

$3.05 COP 9,672

-27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.94 JMD 623

$1.45 COP 4,600

171.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 JMD 439

$2.36 COP 7,496

17.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 255

$1.68 COP 5,328

-4.17%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 566

$2.86 COP 9,077

25.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 JMD 1,813

$10.19 COP 32.3K

12.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 978

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-35.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 JMD 1,602

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-27.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 JMD 926

$4.07 COP 12.9K

43.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 493

$1.50 COP 4,742

108.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,015

$2.17 COP 6,891

195.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 JMD 385

$2.31 COP 7,310

5.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 JMD 518

$1.93 COP 6,113

69.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 JMD 401

$1.64 COP 5,196

54.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 JMD 451

$1.13 COP 3,571

152.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 JMD 221

$1.25 COP 3,954

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 JMD 1,349

$3.99 COP 12.6K

114.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 JMD 1,462

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 JMD 454

$1.70 COP 5,384

69.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 JMD 609

$2.37 COP 7,525

62.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 JMD 151

$1.21 COP 3,827

-21.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 193

$1.32 COP 4,179

-7.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 509

$2.14 COP 6,774

50.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 1,000

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-25.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 JMD 227

$1.30 COP 4,114

10.00%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

56.08%

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

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-6.65%

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

$169 JMD 26.7K

$172 COP 545.6K

-1.95%

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

$19.74 JMD 3,118

$13.37 COP 42.4K

47.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 JMD 8,471

$28.73 COP 91.1K

86.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 JMD 1,812

$6.28 COP 19.9K

82.64%

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

$358 JMD 56.6K

$770 COP 2.4M

-53.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,091 JMD 1.3M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-10.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.39 JMD 3,696

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-72.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.00 JMD 4,897

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

$137 COP 432.9K

-44.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.4K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 JMD 59.7K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-64.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 JMD 29.7K

$616 COP 2.0M

-69.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

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 Ocho Rios: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ocho Rios

$353 32.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 16.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ocho Rios

$242 22.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 11.5% $28

Accommodation & Living

Ocho Rios

$188 17.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 227% $428

Eating Out

Ocho Rios

$156 14.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 7.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Ocho Rios

$105 9.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 61.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Ocho Rios

$23 * 2.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 152% $35

Getting Around

Ocho Rios

$21 * 1.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 342% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $378 in Ocho Rios versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 $63.0 in Ocho Rios versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Ocho Rios

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

Same time as Ocho Rios

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,503

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ocho Rios Medellin 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ocho Rios
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

Ocho Rios vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,634 per month in Ocho Rios and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ocho Rios, 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 $63.0 in Ocho Rios and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ocho Rios, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Ocho Rios it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ocho Rios – 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 Ocho Rios. 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.