Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in San Salvador and in Medellin: $1,629 and $1,639 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,629

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,629 per month in San Salvador vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

San Salvador $1,629
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,449 per month in San Salvador vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

San Salvador $2,449
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,269 per month in San Salvador vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

San Salvador $3,269
Medellin $3,186

San Salvador is about 1% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Salvador and Medellin sit above the global median – San Salvador by 20%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 $6.58

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-18.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.57 $44.57

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 $7.06

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$3.62 $3.62

$3.01 COP 9,485

20.27%

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

$1.13 $1.13

$1.80 COP 5,660

-37.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.41 COP 4,443

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.18 COP 9,990

-38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-39.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.51 COP 4,751

18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.38 COP 7,480

22.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.77 COP 5,573

-22.60%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$2.89 COP 9,093

3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-28.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.97 COP 12.5K

24.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.55 COP 4,883

-8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.18 COP 6,867

16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.18 COP 6,870

62.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.96 COP 6,174

52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.59 COP 5,000

105.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.15 COP 3,604

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.24 COP 3,911

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.96 COP 12.5K

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 $11.77

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.66 COP 5,222

37.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.26 COP 7,104

29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.17 COP 3,674

-73.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.77 $14.77

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-80.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 $5.97

$1.27 COP 3,989

370.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.05 COP 6,442

48.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.88 $19.88

$8.55 COP 26.9K

132.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.35 COP 4,237

-7.41%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-25.25%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-22.94%

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

$129 $129

$170 COP 533.7K

-24.06%

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

$20.87 $20.87

$13.55 COP 42.6K

54.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.10 $42.10

$28.07 COP 88.3K

49.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.34 $29.34

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.36 $21.36

$17.19 COP 54.1K

24.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 $5.13

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-25.76%

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

$161 $161

$797 COP 2.5M

-79.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,729 $4,729

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-48.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-21.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 $47.50

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$135 COP 424.6K

-11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$97.9 COP 307.9K

19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 $893

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 $776

$642 COP 2.0M

21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 $1,792

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$1,012 COP 3.2M

35.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 $1,839

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-3.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 $376

$657 COP 2.1M

-42.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

10.94

-22.30%

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

Last update for San Salvador: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Salvador

$776 47.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 17.4% $135

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$285 17.5%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 4.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$192 11.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 10.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 7% $11

Eating Out

San Salvador

$142 8.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 19.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$40 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 45.3% $18

Getting Around

San Salvador

$37 2.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 152% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in San Salvador versus $1,208 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 75% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in San Salvador versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $297 – making San Salvador the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h ahead of San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Salvador Medellin 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Salvador
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

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,444 per month in San Salvador and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Salvador, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $893 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in San Salvador and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,629 in San Salvador and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 1%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,629 in San Salvador and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward San Salvador – 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 San Salvador. 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.