Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,823 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,353 per month in Santa Lucia vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Lucia is about 23% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Santa Lucia sits 6% below the global median, while Medellin is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.18 CUP 244

$8.02 COP 25.3K

26.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.76 CUP 714

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-37.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 CUP 172

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-27.60%

Cappuccino

$3.39 CUP 81.5

$3.13 COP 9,873

8.31%

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

$1.12 CUP 26.92

$1.91 COP 6,019

-41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 CUP 22.10

$1.51 COP 4,763

-39.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 CUP 47.05

$3.12 COP 9,853

-37.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CUP 69.8

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-49.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 CUP 46.20

$1.44 COP 4,558

34.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CUP 43.27

$2.49 COP 7,843

-27.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 CUP 35.56

$1.77 COP 5,595

-16.38%

Eggs

$3.64 CUP 87.4

$2.96 COP 9,336

22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 CUP 150

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-37.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 CUP 137

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-43.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 CUP 266

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-22.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 CUP 66.6

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-32.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.79

$1.61 COP 5,073

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 CUP 48.43

$2.25 COP 7,083

-10.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 CUP 52.7

$2.25 COP 7,104

-2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CUP 47.25

$2.04 COP 6,444

-3.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CUP 43.13

$1.54 COP 4,842

16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.39

$1.17 COP 3,691

-12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.53

$1.31 COP 4,121

-22.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 CUP 98.7

$3.90 COP 12.3K

5.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 CUP 284

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.30

$1.74 COP 5,498

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 CUP 56.1

$2.87 COP 9,053

-18.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.30

$1.22 COP 3,834

-85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.29 CUP 607

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-68.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CUP 77.1

$1.31 COP 4,129

145.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 CUP 9.27

$2.19 COP 6,899

-82.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.03 CUP 361

$8.71 COP 27.5K

72.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CUP 25.65

$1.37 COP 4,306

-21.90%

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

$70.9K CUP 1.7M

$27.8K COP 87.8M

154.87%

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

$79.0K CUP 1.9M

$35.8K COP 112.8M

120.83%

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

$34.71 CUP 833

$177 COP 559.3K

-80.42%

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

$15.23 CUP 366

$13.88 COP 43.8K

9.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$249 CUP 5,970

$29.72 COP 93.8K

736.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 CUP 963

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 CUP 363

$17.12 COP 54.0K

-11.57%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.45

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-84.66%

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

$168 CUP 4,026

$813 COP 2.6M

-79.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,017 CUP 96.4K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-56.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 CUP 1,672

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-22.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 CUP 1,335

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 CUP 2,356

$138 COP 435.9K

-28.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CUP 2,561

$102 COP 322.1K

4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 CUP 13.4K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-47.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 CUP 8,474

$663 COP 2.1M

-46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 CUP 18.1K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 CUP 12.1K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-50.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$345 CUP 8,282

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-91.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$368 CUP 8,833

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-78.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.3 CUP 1,351

$678 COP 2.1M

-91.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

10.94

-54.84%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $558 in Santa Lucia versus $1,062 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 1104% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Santa Lucia versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $305 – making Santa Lucia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,939 per month in Santa Lucia and $2,521 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Lucia, 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia and $48.00 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 $1,293 in Santa Lucia and $1,681 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 Santa Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Santa Lucia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Lucia – 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 Santa Lucia. 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.