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 $1,276 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,800 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,324 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

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

Both Santa Lucia and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucia 5% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.84 CUP 236

$5.92 COP 21.5K

66.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 CUP 718

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 CUP 173

$7.20 COP 26.2K

Cappuccino

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$1.70 COP 6,186

93.53%

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

$1.08 CUP 26.02

$1.10 COP 3,996

-1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CUP 20.97

$0.72 COP 2,625

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.35

$1.67 COP 6,067

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CUP 73.2

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-1.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CUP 47.83

$1.06 COP 3,837

87.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 CUP 43.38

$1.25 COP 4,531

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 CUP 36.57

$1.39 COP 5,060

9.35%

Eggs

$3.56 CUP 85.5

$2.26 COP 8,229

57.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 CUP 149

$4.33 COP 15.8K

43.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 CUP 137

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 CUP 259

$8.83 COP 32.1K

22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 CUP 66.3

$2.24 COP 8,159

23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CUP 36.46

$1.08 COP 3,911

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 CUP 49.88

$1.53 COP 5,563

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 CUP 55.5

$1.37 COP 4,987

68.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.79

$1.13 COP 4,109

79.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 CUP 41.15

$1.12 COP 4,067

52.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.25

$0.85 COP 3,080

18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$0.91 COP 3,305

8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 CUP 95.0

$2.33 COP 8,477

69.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 CUP 287

$11.13 COP 40.5K

7.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.35

$1.19 COP 4,342

37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CUP 57.4

$2.37 COP 8,617

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 CUP 5.33

$0.79 COP 2,859

-72.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.27 CUP 606

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-38.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CUP 78.3

$1.44 COP 5,223

126.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.17

$1.91 COP 6,952

-80.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 CUP 365

$8.02 COP 29.2K

89.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CUP 25.80

$0.94 COP 3,410

13.83%

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

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

297.62%

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

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

203.90%

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

$35.39 CUP 849

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-57.85%

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

$14.82 CUP 356

$9.60 COP 34.9K

54.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$247 CUP 5,930

$24.16 COP 87.9K

922.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 CUP 945

$25.88 COP 94.1K

52.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 CUP 360

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-21.17%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.40

$3.92 COP 14.2K

-75.00%

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

$162 CUP 3,888

$306 COP 1.1M

-47.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,930 CUP 94.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-33.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 CUP 1,690

$57.9 COP 210.6K

21.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 CUP 1,331

$31.82 COP 115.7K

74.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 CUP 2,358

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CUP 2,554

$107 COP 389.7K

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CUP 13.3K

$487 COP 1.8M

13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 CUP 8,341

$368 COP 1.3M

-5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 CUP 17.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

-9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 CUP 12.0K

$716 COP 2.6M

-30.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$344 CUP 8,264

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-88.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,859

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-73.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.9 CUP 1,366

$546 COP 2.0M

-89.56%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Santa Lucia versus $487 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 858% 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 23%, 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 $1,913 per month in Santa Lucia and $1,550 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 $1,276 in Santa Lucia and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Santa Lucia at $1,276. 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.