Cost of Living Comparison Between San Felipe and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between San Felipe and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,084 per month in San Felipe vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,702 per month in San Felipe vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,320 per month in San Felipe vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

San Felipe costs about 5% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both San Felipe and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – San Felipe 19% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 MX$118

$5.92 COP 21.5K

14.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.41 MX$686

$32.75 COP 119.1K

20.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 MX$134

$7.20 COP 26.2K

6.81%

Cappuccino

$3.36 MX$58.4

$1.70 COP 6,186

97.65%

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

$1.23 MX$21.48

$1.10 COP 3,996

11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.63

$0.72 COP 2,625

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$41.75

$1.67 COP 6,067

43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 MX$69.5

$3.10 COP 11.3K

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.74

$1.06 COP 3,837

39.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.91

$1.25 COP 4,531

106.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.38

$1.39 COP 5,060

17.27%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.32

$2.26 COP 8,229

2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 MX$139

$4.33 COP 15.8K

84.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 MX$138

$5.84 COP 21.2K

35.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.74 MX$187

$8.83 COP 32.1K

21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 MX$46.68

$2.24 COP 8,159

19.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.50

$1.08 COP 3,911

30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.83

$1.53 COP 5,563

15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.77

$1.37 COP 4,987

20.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.02

$1.13 COP 4,109

68.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.34

$1.12 COP 4,067

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.97

$0.85 COP 3,080

42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.97

$0.91 COP 3,305

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.6

$2.33 COP 8,477

76.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 MX$181

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.16

$1.19 COP 4,342

36.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$48.96

$2.37 COP 8,617

18.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.59

$0.79 COP 2,859

-22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.54

$1.44 COP 5,223

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.91

$1.91 COP 6,952

-16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 MX$149

$8.02 COP 29.2K

6.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.92

$0.94 COP 3,410

34.04%

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

$21.5K MX$373.5K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

19.79%

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

$22.3K MX$388.6K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-16.64%

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

$57.6 MX$1,003

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-31.35%

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

$22.41 MX$390

$9.60 COP 34.9K

133.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.48 MX$496

$24.16 COP 87.9K

17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.00 MX$626

$25.88 COP 94.1K

39.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 MX$279

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 MX$79.9

$3.92 COP 14.2K

17.09%

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

$208 MX$3,625

$306 COP 1.1M

-32.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,554 MX$61.8K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-39.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 MX$908

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-9.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 MX$687

$31.82 COP 115.7K

24.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 MX$1,529

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 MX$1,364

$107 COP 389.7K

-26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 MX$8,832

$487 COP 1.8M

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,856

$368 COP 1.3M

7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.2K

$826 COP 3.0M

12.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 MX$13.1K

$716 COP 2.6M

5.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-28.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,282 MX$22.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-8.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for San Felipe: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $508 in San Felipe versus $487 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 $39.00 in San Felipe versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

San Felipe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Felipe is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,627 per month in San Felipe and $1,550 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in San Felipe and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in San Felipe, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in San Felipe at $1,084. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Felipe it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Felipe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.