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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,332 per month in San Juan vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,095 per month in San Juan vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,859 per month in San Juan vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

San Juan costs about 29% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both San Juan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – San Juan 1% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 TTD 50.4

$5.92 COP 21.4K

25.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 TTD 404

$32.75 COP 118.2K

81.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 TTD 49.49

$7.20 COP 26.0K

1.25%

Cappuccino

$3.72 TTD 25.29

$1.70 COP 6,140

118.82%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.46

$1.10 COP 3,966

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.80

$0.72 COP 2,605

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 TTD 12.75

$1.67 COP 6,022

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 TTD 20.32

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-3.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 TTD 17.95

$1.06 COP 3,809

149.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 TTD 18.56

$1.25 COP 4,497

118.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 TTD 17.58

$1.39 COP 5,022

86.33%

Eggs

$4.89 TTD 33.22

$2.26 COP 8,168

116.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 TTD 55.4

$4.33 COP 15.6K

88.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 TTD 71.2

$5.84 COP 21.1K

79.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 TTD 96.9

$8.83 COP 31.9K

61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 TTD 39.05

$2.24 COP 8,099

156.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 TTD 17.07

$1.08 COP 3,882

132.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 TTD 28.84

$1.53 COP 5,522

177.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 TTD 32.74

$1.37 COP 4,950

251.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 TTD 10.13

$1.13 COP 4,078

31.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 TTD 11.14

$1.12 COP 4,036

46.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 TTD 13.21

$0.85 COP 3,057

129.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.98

$0.91 COP 3,281

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 TTD 41.30

$2.33 COP 8,414

160.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 TTD 131

$11.13 COP 40.2K

73.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 TTD 14.85

$1.19 COP 4,309

84.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 TTD 18.65

$2.37 COP 8,553

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 TTD 6.80

$1.44 COP 5,184

-30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.36

$1.91 COP 6,901

-35.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 TTD 99.9

$8.02 COP 28.9K

83.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.41

$0.94 COP 3,385

15.96%

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

$33.4K TTD 226.5K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

86.17%

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

$38.2K TTD 259.2K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

42.48%

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

$79.8 TTD 542

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-4.94%

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

$46.97 TTD 319

$9.60 COP 34.7K

389.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 TTD 426

$24.16 COP 87.2K

159.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 TTD 67.7

$3.92 COP 14.1K

154.34%

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

$323 TTD 2,191

$306 COP 1.1M

5.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,306 TTD 49.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

23.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 TTD 401

$57.9 COP 209.1K

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 TTD 258

$31.82 COP 114.9K

19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 989

$99.9 COP 360.6K

45.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 TTD 876

$107 COP 386.8K

20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 TTD 5,119

$487 COP 1.8M

54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 TTD 3,042

$368 COP 1.3M

21.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 TTD 7,134

$826 COP 3.0M

27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 TTD 5,112

$716 COP 2.6M

5.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

13.43

-59.94%

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

Last update for San Juan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in San Juan 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 $60.0 in San Juan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 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 Juan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Juan is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,998 per month in San Juan 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 $60.0 in San Juan 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 98% more in San Juan, 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 Juan at $1,332. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan 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.

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