Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Denis and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,791 in Saint-Denis, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Saint-Denis despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Saint-Denis

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,791

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,791 per month in Saint-Denis vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Saint-Denis $1,791
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Saint-Denis vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Saint-Denis $3,170
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Saint-Denis vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Saint-Denis $4,549
Medellin $3,186

Saint-Denis costs about 9% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint-Denis and Medellin sit above the global median – Saint-Denis by 32%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 €11.84

$8.09 COP 26.1K

63.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 €70.5

$47.05 COP 151.9K

67.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.42 €13.82

$9.50 COP 30.7K

62.32%

Cappuccino

$3.66 €3.28

$3.01 COP 9,735

21.59%

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

$2.62 €2.35

$1.80 COP 5,809

45.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.27

$1.41 COP 4,561

79.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 €2.98

$3.18 COP 10.3K

4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-16.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.51 COP 4,876

14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.68

$1.77 COP 5,720

68.93%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.22

$2.89 COP 9,333

62.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.23 €18.13

$10.19 COP 32.9K

98.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.98

$9.87 COP 31.9K

35.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.95 €30.42

$13.99 COP 45.2K

142.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 €5.11

$2.18 COP 7,051

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 €3.96

$1.59 COP 5,132

177.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 €2.02

$1.15 COP 3,699

95.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.24 COP 4,014

54.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 €9.99

$3.96 COP 12.8K

181.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 €10.89

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.08

$1.66 COP 5,359

107.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.01

$2.26 COP 7,291

48.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.17 COP 3,771

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.66 €38.23

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-44.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.72

$1.35 COP 4,349

42.22%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$147 €132

$170 COP 547.8K

-13.21%

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

$17.33 €15.53

$13.55 COP 43.8K

27.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 €39.10

$28.07 COP 90.6K

55.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 €33.17

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 €11.86

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-22.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.12

$6.91 COP 22.3K

63.53%

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)

$144 €129

$84.7 COP 273.5K

70.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €112

$135 COP 435.8K

-7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.2

$97.9 COP 316.0K

13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 €813

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €593

$642 COP 2.1M

3.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,344

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 €1,708

$1,012 COP 3.3M

88.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,126 €1,905

$657 COP 2.1M

223.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Saint-Denis: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Denis

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $907 in Saint-Denis 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 in Saint-Denis are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Saint-Denis versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇪 Saint-Denis

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

04:06 4:06 AM

9 h behind Saint-Denis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,765 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint-Denis Medellin 14,510 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint-Denis
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

Saint-Denis vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint-Denis is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,686 per month in Saint-Denis 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 Saint-Denis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $907 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Saint-Denis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Saint-Denis, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,791 in Saint-Denis and $1,639 in Medellin, 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 $1,791 in Saint-Denis. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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