Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rita and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Santa Rita vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Rita $1,784
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,706 per month in Santa Rita vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Rita $2,706
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,628 per month in Santa Rita vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Rita $3,628
Medellin $3,199

Santa Rita costs about 10% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Santa Rita and Medellin sit above the global median – Santa Rita by 32%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 $20.09

$8.30 COP 26.1K

142.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$46.91 COP 147.5K

60.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 $6.16

$9.24 COP 29.1K

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.05 COP 9,597

65.25%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.80 COP 5,660

37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.38 COP 4,346

76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$3.24 COP 10.2K

143.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.56 COP 17.5K

77.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.50 COP 4,721

156.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.37 COP 7,446

78.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.70 COP 5,333

54.71%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$2.96 COP 9,302

29.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 $19.70

$10.22 COP 32.1K

92.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$9.74 COP 30.6K

-33.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$13.90 COP 43.7K

-28.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.13 COP 13.0K

15.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.53 COP 4,799

75.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,994

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.27 COP 7,135

98.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.99 COP 6,259

105.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.67 COP 5,242

65.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.18 COP 3,711

69.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,887

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.66 COP 5,213

66.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.40 COP 7,553

-27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.63 $32.63

$8.37 COP 26.3K

289.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.35 COP 4,252

2.96%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$251 $251

$167 COP 524.1K

50.57%

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

$89.9 $89.9

$13.62 COP 42.8K

559.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$29.12 COP 91.6K

169.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$45.09 COP 141.8K

123.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$1,028 COP 3.2M

-12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 $612

$620 COP 1.9M

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 $1,982

$1,881 COP 5.9M

5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$1,008 COP 3.2M

9.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$303 $303

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-82.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,588 $5,588

$663 COP 2.1M

742.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Eating Out

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Getting Around

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rita

–

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Santa Rita versus $1,028 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 742% higher in Santa Rita, 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 $75.0 in Santa Rita versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

15 h behind Santa Rita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,145 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,535 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Rita Medellin 15,060 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Rita is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Santa Rita and $2,437 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.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Santa Rita, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Santa Rita and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Santa Rita at $1,784. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Rita 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.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Rita makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.