Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $756 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,240 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,724 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is about 55% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas sits 45% below the global median, while Medellin is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 Q 53.2

$8.02 COP 25.3K

-13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 Q 385

$47.87 COP 151.0K

5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 Q 60.6

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-19.62%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.06

$3.13 COP 9,873

9.27%

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

$1.11 Q 8.45

$1.91 COP 6,019

-41.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 Q 6.42

$1.51 COP 4,763

-44.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 Q 24.63

$3.12 COP 9,853

3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 Q 35.47

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 Q 16.10

$1.44 COP 4,558

46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 Q 21.87

$2.49 COP 7,843

15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.25

$1.77 COP 5,595

20.34%

Eggs

$2.49 Q 19.00

$2.96 COP 9,336

-15.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Q 47.97

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-37.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 Q 70.1

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-9.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 Q 103

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-5.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 Q 30.57

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-3.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.67

$1.61 COP 5,073

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.92

$2.25 COP 7,083

27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.54

$2.25 COP 7,104

-27.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 Q 11.71

$2.04 COP 6,444

-24.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.96

$1.54 COP 4,842

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Q 5.68

$1.17 COP 3,691

-35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.25

$1.31 COP 4,121

-7.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 Q 31.42

$3.90 COP 12.3K

5.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.6

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Q 13.11

$1.74 COP 5,498

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.72

$2.87 COP 9,053

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 Q 40.33

$1.31 COP 4,129

303.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 Q 80.2

$8.71 COP 27.5K

20.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 Q 9.33

$1.37 COP 4,306

-10.95%

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

$27.8K Q 212.2K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-0.08%

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

$25.3K Q 193.0K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-29.26%

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

$75.6 Q 577

$177 COP 559.3K

-57.34%

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

$29.40 Q 224

$13.88 COP 43.8K

111.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.14 Q 352

$29.72 COP 93.8K

55.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 Q 49.31

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-2.86%

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

$347 Q 2,648

$813 COP 2.6M

-57.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Q 50.4K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-28.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 Q 359

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-47.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 Q 357

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 Q 848

$138 COP 435.9K

-19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 846

$102 COP 322.1K

8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

10.94

6.22%

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

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $280 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $305 in Medellin – so Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 122%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,133 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $2,521 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 $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Santa Lucía Milpas Altas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – 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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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.