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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,609 per month in San Pedro vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,115 per month in San Pedro vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,622 per month in San Pedro vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

San Pedro costs about 56% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Pedro sits 20% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 BZD 19.04

$6.16 COP 20.1K

54.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.07 BZD 60.2

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

Cappuccino

$2.97 BZD 5.94

$1.72 COP 5,600

72.67%

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

$1.40 BZD 2.80

$1.05 COP 3,420

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BZD 3.12

$0.77 COP 2,515

102.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 BZD 5.93

$1.69 COP 5,488

75.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 BZD 8.20

$3.17 COP 10.3K

29.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.02 BZD 8.03

$1.05 COP 3,423

282.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 BZD 2.76

$1.30 COP 4,236

6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 BZD 8.36

$1.40 COP 4,544

198.57%

Eggs

$2.21 BZD 4.42

$2.16 COP 7,047

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 BZD 19.95

$4.39 COP 14.3K

127.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 BZD 12.36

$5.88 COP 19.1K

5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 BZD 16.91

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$8.52 BZD 17.03

$2.28 COP 7,426

273.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 BZD 2.09

$1.11 COP 3,604

-5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 BZD 2.12

$1.53 COP 4,983

-30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 BZD 10.72

$1.35 COP 4,410

297.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 BZD 5.43

$1.13 COP 3,674

140.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 BZD 5.91

$1.13 COP 3,692

161.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.51 BZD 7.01

$0.85 COP 2,753

312.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 BZD 2.57

$0.91 COP 2,975

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

Wine (Bottle)

$23.59 BZD 47.19

$12.37 COP 40.3K

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 BZD 4.77

$1.20 COP 3,909

98.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 BZD 6.61

$2.49 COP 8,104

32.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.91 BZD 9.82

$1.92 COP 6,235

155.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BZD 3.13

$0.99 COP 3,223

57.58%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

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

$174 BZD 348

$80.8 COP 263.1K

115.05%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.1 BZD 196

$24.18 COP 78.7K

305.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 BZD 60.3

$25.08 COP 81.7K

20.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

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

$305 COP 993.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 BZD 197

$101 COP 327.9K

-2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 BZD 1,993

$477 COP 1.6M

109.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 BZD 1,524

$376 COP 1.2M

102.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 BZD 2,101

$845 COP 2.7M

24.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 BZD 1,811

$730 COP 2.4M

23.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 BZD 5,294

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-17.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,629 BZD 3,258

$1,372 COP 4.5M

18.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for San Pedro: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in San Pedro versus $477 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 $30.00 in San Pedro versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $355 in San Pedro vs $193 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 Pedro vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Pedro is pricier by about 56%, 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 $2,413 per month in San Pedro and $1,546 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.

Groceries cost about 84% more in San Pedro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in San Pedro and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in San Pedro at $1,609. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro 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 Pedro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.