Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa Flamingo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,686 in Playa Flamingo, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Playa Flamingo despite lower rent and utilities.

81

Cost of Living Index in Playa Flamingo
Learn more

Playa Flamingo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa Flamingo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,686

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,686 per month in Playa Flamingo vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa Flamingo $1,686
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in Playa Flamingo vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa Flamingo $2,670
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,654 per month in Playa Flamingo vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa Flamingo $3,654
Medellin $3,186

Playa Flamingo costs about 3% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa Flamingo and Medellin sit above the global median – Playa Flamingo by 24%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 ₡5,314

$8.09 COP 25.4K

45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.1K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

32.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 ₡4,463

$9.50 COP 29.9K

4.11%

Cappuccino

$4.36 ₡1,968

$3.01 COP 9,485

44.85%

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

$2.74 ₡1,235

$1.80 COP 5,660

52.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.41 COP 4,443

30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,479

$3.18 COP 9,990

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,958

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-24.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₡915

$1.51 COP 4,751

34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,406

$2.38 COP 7,480

31.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$1.77 COP 5,573

41.81%

Eggs

$3.05 ₡1,374

$2.89 COP 9,093

5.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 ₡4,881

$10.19 COP 32.1K

6.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 ₡4,580

$9.87 COP 31.1K

2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 ₡5,327

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 ₡2,380

$3.97 COP 12.5K

32.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₡711

$1.55 COP 4,883

1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 ₡2,193

$2.18 COP 6,867

122.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,768

$2.18 COP 6,870

79.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,739

$1.96 COP 6,174

96.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 ₡1,632

$1.59 COP 5,000

127.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡459

$1.15 COP 3,604

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,396

$1.24 COP 3,911

149.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,296

$3.96 COP 12.5K

28.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,176

$13.68 COP 43.0K

48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,252

$1.66 COP 5,221

66.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,658

$2.26 COP 7,103

62.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ₡627

$1.17 COP 3,674

18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ₡1,134

$1.27 COP 3,989

97.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.05 COP 6,442

-24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,971

$8.55 COP 26.9K

2.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡693

$1.35 COP 4,237

14.07%

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

$34.0K ₡15.3M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-0.20%

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

$42.2K ₡19.0M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

21.68%

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

$94.5 ₡42.6K

$170 COP 533.7K

-44.31%

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

$20.06 ₡9,050

$13.55 COP 42.6K

48.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ₡26.6K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

109.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ₡25.3K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

28.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.92 ₡4,475

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-42.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 ₡3,498

$6.91 COP 21.7K

12.16%

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

$994 ₡448.6K

$797 COP 2.5M

24.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,017 ₡4.1M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-1.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡32.0K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-16.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.4K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-2.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

$135 COP 424.6K

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.6K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

37.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 ₡723.7K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡288.9K

$642 COP 2.0M

-0.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,962 ₡1.3M

$2,028 COP 6.4M

46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 ₡568.1K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

24.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,601 ₡1.6M

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Playa Flamingo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa Flamingo

$640 38%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 0.2% $1.3

Groceries & Markets

Playa Flamingo

$389 23.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 23.7% $92

Eating Out

Playa Flamingo

$220 13%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 22.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Playa Flamingo

$176 10.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 4% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa Flamingo

$173 10.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 21.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Playa Flamingo

$72 4.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 19.6% $14

Getting Around

Playa Flamingo

$16 * 0.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 491% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Playa Flamingo 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Playa Flamingo versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa Flamingo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

1 h ahead of Playa Flamingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa Flamingo Medellin 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa Flamingo
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

Playa Flamingo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa Flamingo is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Playa Flamingo 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,604 in Playa Flamingo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Playa Flamingo and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Playa Flamingo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,686 in Playa Flamingo and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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