Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Rio Colorado and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Rio Colorado and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,090 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,339 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

San Luis Rio Colorado costs about 7% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both San Luis Rio Colorado and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – San Luis Rio Colorado 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 MX$162

$5.95 COP 21.2K

55.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.12 MX$543

$33.33 COP 118.9K

-6.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 MX$137

$7.23 COP 25.8K

8.16%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MX$46.96

$1.63 COP 5,811

65.03%

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

$1.10 MX$19.27

$1.09 COP 3,904

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.02

$0.73 COP 2,604

26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$51.3

$1.74 COP 6,197

68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MX$86.5

$3.23 COP 11.5K

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.55

$1.05 COP 3,742

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 MX$43.20

$1.29 COP 4,614

92.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.38

$1.32 COP 4,718

31.82%

Eggs

$3.20 MX$55.9

$2.27 COP 8,101

40.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$134

$4.35 COP 15.5K

77.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 MX$98.3

$5.88 COP 21.0K

-4.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MX$182

$8.61 COP 30.7K

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$2.25 COP 8,015

14.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.80

$1.07 COP 3,814

43.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.11

$1.52 COP 5,438

21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.66

$1.42 COP 5,073

11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.29

$1.17 COP 4,173

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.70

$1.17 COP 4,166

59.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.33

$0.89 COP 3,163

17.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.05

$0.90 COP 3,215

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 MX$69.8

$2.25 COP 8,008

77.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 MX$148

$11.04 COP 39.4K

-23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.14 COP 4,063

69.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$58.5

$2.38 COP 8,483

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.77

$0.84 COP 2,979

-26.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 MX$47.52

$1.41 COP 5,019

92.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.83

$1.90 COP 6,779

-16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$7.75 COP 27.6K

-57.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.01 COP 3,586

28.71%

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

$23.0K MX$402.2K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

31.10%

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

$20.5K MX$357.0K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

-22.80%

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

$56.0 MX$978

$83.7 COP 298.4K

-33.07%

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

$27.73 MX$484

$9.45 COP 33.7K

193.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.21 MX$545

$24.11 COP 86.0K

29.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.22 MX$632

$25.31 COP 90.3K

43.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 MX$273

$19.14 COP 68.3K

-18.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 MX$77.6

$4.10 COP 14.6K

8.29%

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

$209 MX$3,650

$312 COP 1.1M

-32.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,761 MX$48.2K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

-53.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 MX$735

$58.0 COP 207.0K

-27.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 MX$619

$32.56 COP 116.1K

8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 MX$1,512

$99.6 COP 355.3K

-13.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MX$1,226

$109 COP 387.1K

-35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MX$8,750

$482 COP 1.7M

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MX$7,050

$379 COP 1.4M

6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.6K

$837 COP 3.0M

13.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$13.1K

$723 COP 2.6M

3.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,979 MX$34.5K

$2,840 COP 10.1M

-30.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MX$22.0K

$1,223 COP 4.4M

3.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

13.43

-12.14%

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

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $501 in San Luis Rio Colorado versus $482 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 $31.00 in San Luis Rio Colorado versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Luis Rio Colorado vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Luis Rio Colorado is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,635 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado and $1,525 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 $31.00 in San Luis Rio Colorado 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 26% more in San Luis Rio Colorado, 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 $1,017, than in San Luis Rio Colorado at $1,090. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Luis Rio Colorado 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 Luis Rio Colorado makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.