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 $1,301 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,028 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,363 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,144 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Lucia costs about 27% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Santa Lucia and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucia 2% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.84 CUP 236

$6.00 COP 20.6K

64.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.72 CUP 713

$32.84 COP 112.5K

-9.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 CUP 171

$7.42 COP 25.4K

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.33 CUP 80.0

$1.65 COP 5,659

101.82%

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

$1.09 CUP 26.09

$1.07 COP 3,663

1.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 CUP 21.88

$0.76 COP 2,607

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 CUP 46.97

$1.72 COP 5,908

13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CUP 47.61

$1.05 COP 3,597

88.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 CUP 44.71

$1.31 COP 4,479

41.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 CUP 34.92

$1.34 COP 4,591

8.96%

Eggs

$3.55 CUP 85.3

$2.19 COP 7,521

62.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 CUP 150

$4.41 COP 15.1K

41.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 CUP 135

$5.69 COP 19.5K

-0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 CUP 268

$8.52 COP 29.2K

30.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 CUP 65.2

$2.34 COP 8,023

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CUP 36.24

$1.11 COP 3,804

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.63

$1.52 COP 5,210

33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 CUP 52.4

$1.37 COP 4,680

59.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CUP 46.63

$1.15 COP 3,950

68.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CUP 42.66

$1.18 COP 4,043

50.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.54

$0.84 COP 2,885

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.47

$0.86 COP 2,931

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 CUP 98.6

$2.26 COP 7,753

81.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 CUP 285

$11.60 COP 39.8K

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CUP 38.73

$1.20 COP 4,109

34.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CUP 55.9

$2.48 COP 8,484

-6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 CUP 4.56

$0.79 COP 2,721

-75.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.31 CUP 607

$40.83 COP 139.9K

-38.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CUP 77.6

$1.47 COP 5,023

119.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.85

$1.92 COP 6,568

-78.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 CUP 363

$7.77 COP 26.6K

94.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CUP 24.77

$1.01 COP 3,464

1.98%

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

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

$17.7K COP 60.5M

303.28%

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

$79.8K CUP 1.9M

$26.5K COP 90.7M

201.50%

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

$35.59 CUP 854

$81.1 COP 277.9K

-56.12%

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

$15.02 CUP 361

$9.43 COP 32.3K

59.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$253 CUP 6,083

$23.86 COP 81.8K

962.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 CUP 959

$25.99 COP 89.1K

53.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.73 CUP 354

$18.71 COP 64.1K

-21.27%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$4.09 COP 14.0K

-75.79%

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

$165 CUP 3,963

$315 COP 1.1M

-47.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,000 CUP 96.0K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

-33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 CUP 1,695

$59.7 COP 204.6K

18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 CUP 1,312

$31.97 COP 109.6K

71.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CUP 2,410

$101 COP 346.9K

-0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CUP 2,496

$105 COP 360.3K

-1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 CUP 13.0K

$485 COP 1.7M

11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 CUP 8,350

$365 COP 1.3M

-4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 CUP 18.1K

$827 COP 2.8M

-8.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 CUP 11.8K

$730 COP 2.5M

-32.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$336 CUP 8,075

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-88.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$370 CUP 8,873

$1,314 COP 4.5M

-71.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$55.5 CUP 1,331

$551 COP 1.9M

-89.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

13.43

-63.22%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Santa Lucia versus $485 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 893% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Santa Lucia vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 – Santa Lucia is pricier by about 27%, 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 $1,951 per month in Santa Lucia and $1,542 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia 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 $1,301 in Santa Lucia and $1,028 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 $1,028, than in Santa Lucia at $1,301. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Lucia 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, Santa Lucia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.