Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sal and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sal: $850 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Sal
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Sal Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sal

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$850

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $850 per month in Sal vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Sal $850
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in Sal vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Sal $1,313
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,777 per month in Sal vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Sal $1,777
Medellin $3,190

Sal is about 47% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Sal sits 37% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 CVE 540

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-30.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.18 CVE 4,332

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-4.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 CVE 1,081

$9.50 COP 30.1K

16.11%

Cappuccino

$2.32 CVE 227

$3.11 COP 9,866

-25.40%

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

$2.54 CVE 249

$1.83 COP 5,800

38.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 CVE 107

$1.38 COP 4,360

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 CVE 452

$3.05 COP 9,672

51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CVE 301

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-44.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 CVE 155

$1.45 COP 4,600

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CVE 223

$2.36 COP 7,496

-3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 CVE 118

$1.68 COP 5,328

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.79 CVE 273

$2.86 COP 9,077

-2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 CVE 886

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 CVE 736

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-21.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CVE 1,568

$14.04 COP 44.5K

13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CVE 310

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-22.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 CVE 245

$1.50 COP 4,742

66.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CVE 326

$2.17 COP 6,891

53.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 CVE 391

$2.31 COP 7,310

72.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CVE 161

$1.93 COP 6,113

-15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 CVE 182

$1.64 COP 5,196

12.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 CVE 152

$1.13 COP 3,571

37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CVE 108

$1.25 COP 3,954

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 CVE 448

$3.99 COP 12.6K

14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 CVE 628

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-52.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 CVE 395

$1.70 COP 5,384

137.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CVE 184

$2.37 COP 7,525

-20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 CVE 96.6

$1.21 COP 3,827

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 CVE 204

$1.32 COP 4,179

57.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 CVE 302

$2.14 COP 6,774

43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.65 CVE 1,240

$8.47 COP 26.8K

49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CVE 135

$1.30 COP 4,114

6.15%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$60.8 CVE 5,964

$172 COP 545.6K

-64.66%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.23 CVE 4,827

$28.73 COP 91.1K

71.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.47 CVE 2,694

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$115 CVE 11.2K

$770 COP 2.4M

-85.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.09 CVE 2,950

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-65.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CVE 14.1K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

46.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 CVE 24.7K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-76.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 CVE 16.5K

$616 COP 2.0M

-72.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 CVE 30.1K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-83.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 CVE 20.2K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-79.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$654 CVE 64.1K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-83.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$331 CVE 32.5K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-80.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 CVE 25.2K

$652 COP 2.1M

-60.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.94

-52.01%

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

Last update for Sal: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sal

$296 34.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 0.4% $1.2

Accommodation & Living

Sal

$168 19.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 267% $448

Eating Out

Sal

$149 17.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 13.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sal

$110 * 13%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 94.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Sal

$78 * 9.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 118% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Sal

$27 * 3.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 110% $30

Getting Around

Sal

$21 * 2.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 335% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Sal 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.

Salaries run about 154% 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 $44.00 in Sal versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $296 in Sal vs $295 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Sal

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

22:43 10:43 PM

4 h behind Sal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,288

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.2 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 98.05 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 CVE in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sal Medellin 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sal
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

Sal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,274 per month in Sal 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 Sal, 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 $44.00 in Sal 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 0% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sal, where all-in costs run around $850, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Sal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sal. 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.