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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,496 per month in San Salvador vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,165 per month in San Salvador vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,834 per month in San Salvador vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

San Salvador costs about 47% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Salvador sits 12% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 $8.19

$5.93 COP 19.1K

38.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.70 $34.70

$33.12 COP 106.5K

4.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 $6.94

$7.12 COP 22.9K

-2.53%

Cappuccino

$3.28 $3.28

$1.71 COP 5,484

91.81%

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

$1.14 $1.14

$1.05 COP 3,373

8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.72 COP 2,323

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.72 COP 5,529

18.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.17 COP 10.2K

-7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.06 COP 3,425

72.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.31 COP 4,213

54.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.33 COP 4,277

11.28%

Eggs

$2.80 $2.80

$2.28 COP 7,334

22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.42 COP 14.2K

57.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$5.92 COP 19.0K

16.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 $10.66

$8.64 COP 27.8K

23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.34 COP 7,541

35.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.10 COP 3,544

51.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.47 COP 4,721

77.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.38 COP 4,437

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.17 COP 3,772

82.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.17 COP 3,763

78.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.90 COP 2,904

12.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.84 COP 2,707

22.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.33 COP 7,486

73.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.92 COP 38.3K

1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.15 COP 3,692

51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.42 COP 7,787

4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.84 COP 2,700

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.75 $24.75

$40.83 COP 131.3K

-39.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.41 COP 4,539

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.91 COP 6,157

62.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$7.83 COP 25.2K

156.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.94 COP 3,035

6.38%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

43.36%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

2.17%

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

$104 $104

$83.3 COP 267.8K

24.56%

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

$18.77 $18.77

$9.66 COP 31.1K

94.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.26 $42.26

$24.22 COP 77.9K

74.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.79 $31.79

$25.22 COP 81.1K

26.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 $19.75

$19.33 COP 62.2K

2.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 $5.24

$4.07 COP 13.1K

28.75%

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

$143 $143

$307 COP 986.0K

-53.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,050 $6,050

$5,981 COP 19.2M

1.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.0 COP 192.8K

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.31 $43.31

$32.65 COP 105.0K

32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$101 COP 325.1K

12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$108 COP 347.5K

-3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 $829

$476 COP 1.5M

74.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 $703

$379 COP 1.2M

85.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 $1,445

$816 COP 2.6M

76.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$707 COP 2.3M

53.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,769 $2,769

$3,190 COP 10.3M

-13.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,843 $1,843

$1,446 COP 4.7M

27.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 $380

$622 COP 2.0M

-38.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.58

13.43

-36.11%

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

Last update for San Salvador: July 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in San Salvador versus $476 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 64% higher in Medellin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in San Salvador versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $192 – 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 Salvador vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Salvador is pricier by about 47%, 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 $2,243 per month in San Salvador and $1,527 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 $35.00 in San Salvador and $33.00 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 $1,496 in San Salvador and $1,018 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in San Salvador at $1,496. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Salvador 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 Salvador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.