Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sa Pa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sa Pa: $734 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Sa Pa
Learn more

Sa Pa Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Sa Pa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$734

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Sa Pa vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Sa Pa $734
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,169 per month in Sa Pa vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Sa Pa $1,169
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,604 per month in Sa Pa vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Sa Pa $1,604
Medellin $3,249

Sa Pa is about 57% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sa Pa sits 46% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ₫48.7K

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-77.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.13 ₫544.5K

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-54.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 ₫121.4K

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-50.26%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ₫45.2K

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-44.09%

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

$0.50 ₫13.0K

$1.77 COP 5,727

-71.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,202

$1.42 COP 4,619

-80.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₫25.7K

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-68.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.3K

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-73.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ₫36.5K

$1.53 COP 4,969

-7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$2.29 COP 7,429

-56.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$1.94 COP 6,306

-48.97%

Eggs

$1.40 ₫36.1K

$3.07 COP 9,942

-54.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ₫302.2K

$9.99 COP 32.4K

17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.73 ₫96.1K

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-64.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 ₫254.9K

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-29.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₫68.8K

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-34.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.3K

$1.53 COP 4,956

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$2.10 COP 6,823

-39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.0K

$2.29 COP 7,437

-50.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.5K

$2.11 COP 6,839

-49.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.71 COP 5,542

-38.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$1.17 COP 3,794

-40.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$1.58 COP 5,123

-67.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-66.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 ₫292.5K

$14.04 COP 45.5K

-19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$1.76 COP 5,712

-54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₫42.0K

$2.71 COP 8,793

-39.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₫8,109

$1.18 COP 3,825

-73.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.43 ₫165.6K

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-91.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₫17.0K

$1.81 COP 5,859

-63.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫15.9K

$2.13 COP 6,904

-70.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 ₫72.7K

$8.13 COP 26.4K

-65.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$1.28 COP 4,135

-28.91%

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

$34.5K ₫887.5M

$34.4K COP 111.7M

0.03%

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

$31.6K ₫813.0M

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-7.54%

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

$75.6 ₫1.9M

$178 COP 576.3K

-57.46%

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

$5.90 ₫151.9K

$13.89 COP 45.0K

-57.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 ₫230.7K

$30.74 COP 99.7K

-70.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 ₫561.3K

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.71 ₫198.7K

$16.80 COP 54.5K

-54.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 ₫79.4K

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-58.77%

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

$264 ₫6.8M

$790 COP 2.6M

-66.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ₫302.1M

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-4.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.73 ₫1.0M

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-52.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.04 ₫593.4K

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-61.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 ₫2.2M

$138 COP 448.6K

-38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 ₫1.9M

$98.8 COP 320.4K

-23.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₫9.4M

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-72.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₫6.4M

$667 COP 2.2M

-62.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₫19.0M

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ₫13.7M

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-48.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 ₫53.4M

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-49.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,246 ₫32.1M

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-35.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

10.94

-16.82%

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

Last update for Sa Pa: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sa Pa

$250 34.1%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 167% $417

Groceries & Markets

Sa Pa

$192 26.1%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 60.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Sa Pa

$101 13.8%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 70.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sa Pa

$90 12.3%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 146% $132

Eating Out

Sa Pa

$61 8.4%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 181% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Sa Pa

$28 3.8%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 104% $29

Getting Around

Sa Pa

$11 1.6%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 717% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Sa Pa versus $1,341 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 $21 in Sa Pa versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $307 – making Sa Pa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Sa Pa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

12:49 12:49 PM

12 h behind Sa Pa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,882

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sa Pa Medellin 16,830 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Sa Pa
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

Sa Pa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Sa Pa and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sa Pa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $365 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Sa Pa and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $734 in Sa Pa and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Sa Pa about 57% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sa Pa, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Sa Pa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Sa Pa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.