Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $925 per month in St.James vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in St.James vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,247 per month in St.James vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

St.James is about 45% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

St.James sits 32% below the global median, while Medellin is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 TTD 70.6

$8.02 COP 25.0K

30.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 TTD 589

$47.87 COP 149.4K

82.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 TTD 61.0

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-8.29%

Cappuccino

$3.69 TTD 24.83

$3.13 COP 9,767

17.89%

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

$1.00 TTD 6.75

$1.91 COP 5,954

-47.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.11

$1.51 COP 4,712

-49.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 TTD 15.27

$3.12 COP 9,747

-27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 TTD 24.21

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-37.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 TTD 16.90

$1.44 COP 4,509

74.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 TTD 16.67

$2.49 COP 7,759

-0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 TTD 19.17

$1.77 COP 5,535

61.02%

Eggs

$4.30 TTD 28.92

$2.96 COP 9,235

45.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 TTD 43.73

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-35.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 TTD 67.1

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 TTD 78.3

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-18.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 TTD 37.69

$4.14 COP 12.9K

35.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 TTD 20.99

$1.61 COP 5,019

93.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 TTD 25.01

$2.25 COP 7,007

65.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 TTD 28.04

$2.25 COP 7,028

85.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 TTD 14.88

$2.04 COP 6,375

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 TTD 13.00

$1.54 COP 4,790

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 TTD 12.37

$1.17 COP 3,651

57.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TTD 9.01

$1.31 COP 4,077

2.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 TTD 40.50

$3.90 COP 12.2K

54.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 TTD 127

$14.01 COP 43.7K

35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.88

$1.74 COP 5,439

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 TTD 20.10

$2.87 COP 8,956

4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.07

$1.31 COP 4,084

-19.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.34

$2.19 COP 6,825

-43.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.61 TTD 98.3

$8.71 COP 27.2K

67.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.85

$1.37 COP 4,260

-14.60%

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

$37.5K TTD 252.2K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

34.64%

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

$40.4K TTD 271.7K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

12.90%

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

$91.7 TTD 617

$177 COP 553.2K

-48.27%

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

$52.6 TTD 354

$13.88 COP 43.3K

278.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 TTD 377

$29.72 COP 92.8K

88.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 TTD 59.9

$6.65 COP 20.7K

33.83%

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

$404 TTD 2,716

$813 COP 2.5M

-50.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K TTD 72.7K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

17.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 TTD 365

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-39.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 TTD 350

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 985

$138 COP 431.2K

5.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 TTD 691

$102 COP 318.7K

0.61%

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 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

10.94

-47.44%

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

Last update for St.James: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in St.James versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $305 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

St.James vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 82%, 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 $1,387 per month in St.James 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 $88.0 in St.James and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St.James, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Medellin at $1,681. In St.James it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St.James – 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 St.James. 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.