Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Jamaica and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,285 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,285
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,988 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,988
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,690 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,690
Medellin $3,186

Santa Cruz is about 22% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Santa Cruz sits 6% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 JMD 1,163

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-8.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

35.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 JMD 1,016

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-32.11%

Cappuccino

$5.34 JMD 842

$3.01 COP 9,485

77.41%

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

$1.16 JMD 182

$1.80 COP 5,660

-35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 119

$1.41 COP 4,443

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$3.18 COP 9,990

-28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 JMD 638

$1.51 COP 4,751

167.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 JMD 406

$2.38 COP 7,480

8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$1.77 COP 5,573

-11.30%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 548

$2.89 COP 9,093

20.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 JMD 1,787

$10.19 COP 32.1K

11.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 JMD 1,010

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-35.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 JMD 1,641

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 JMD 941

$3.97 COP 12.5K

50.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 JMD 604

$1.55 COP 4,883

147.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.43 JMD 1,171

$2.18 COP 6,867

240.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 474

$2.18 COP 6,870

38.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 523

$1.96 COP 6,174

69.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$1.59 COP 5,000

66.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$1.15 COP 3,604

161.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

$1.24 COP 3,911

16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 JMD 1,494

$3.96 COP 12.5K

139.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,818

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-15.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 456

$1.66 COP 5,222

74.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 JMD 632

$2.26 COP 7,104

77.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 201

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 JMD 492

$2.05 COP 6,442

52.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 966

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-28.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.35 COP 4,237

2.96%

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

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

31.65%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-6.10%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$170 COP 533.7K

-2.06%

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

$29.57 JMD 4,664

$13.55 COP 42.6K

118.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,165

$28.07 COP 88.3K

84.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 JMD 6,055

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 JMD 2,119

$6.91 COP 21.7K

94.50%

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

$359 JMD 56.6K

$797 COP 2.5M

-54.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-11.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.66 JMD 3,731

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-72.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 JMD 5,022

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-45.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

$135 COP 424.6K

-41.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 JMD 15.9K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 JMD 49.0K

$642 COP 2.0M

-51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 JMD 78.8K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-50.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 JMD 64.3K

$657 COP 2.1M

-37.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

10.94

-13.62%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 20% $74

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 106% $331

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 14.6% $36

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$168 13%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 1.3% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 60% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 11.9% $7.7

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 454% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 61% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Santa Cruz versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

Same time as Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,217

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 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).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Medellin 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

Santa Cruz vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,928 per month in Santa Cruz and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Santa Cruz and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Santa Cruz to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. 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.