Cost of Living Comparison Between St Lawrence and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between St Lawrence and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,422 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,012 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,603 per month in St Lawrence vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 237% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Lawrence sits 155% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.45 JEP 15.26

$5.95 COP 20.8K

243.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 JEP 50.2

$33.33 COP 116.3K

101.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 JEP 8.07

$7.23 COP 25.2K

49.65%

Cappuccino

$4.15 JEP 3.09

$1.63 COP 5,687

154.60%

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

$1.32 JEP 0.99

$1.09 COP 3,821

21.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 JEP 1.00

$0.73 COP 2,548

83.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 JEP 3.08

$1.74 COP 6,065

136.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 JEP 4.93

$3.23 COP 11.3K

104.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 JEP 1.32

$1.05 COP 3,662

67.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$1.29 COP 4,515

55.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 JEP 1.56

$1.32 COP 4,617

58.33%

Eggs

$5.41 JEP 4.04

$2.27 COP 7,927

138.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 JEP 3.01

$4.35 COP 15.2K

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 JEP 8.68

$5.88 COP 20.5K

97.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 JEP 5.22

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-18.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 JEP 3.03

$2.25 COP 7,844

80.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 JEP 1.54

$1.07 COP 3,733

92.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 JEP 2.51

$1.52 COP 5,322

121.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 JEP 3.09

$1.42 COP 4,964

191.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 JEP 2.94

$1.17 COP 4,084

236.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 JEP 2.08

$1.17 COP 4,077

138.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$0.89 COP 3,096

124.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 JEP 1.19

$0.90 COP 3,146

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 JEP 8.71

$2.25 COP 7,837

419.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 JEP 7.89

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.01 JEP 2.99

$1.14 COP 3,977

251.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 JEP 5.08

$2.38 COP 8,301

186.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 JEP 2.49

$0.84 COP 2,916

296.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.8 JEP 53.5

$41.95 COP 146.4K

71.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 JEP 4.45

$1.41 COP 4,912

323.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 JEP 2.98

$1.90 COP 6,634

110.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 JEP 2.00

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-65.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 JEP 1.56

$1.01 COP 3,509

107.92%

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

$22.3K JEP 16.7K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

26.98%

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

$34.3K JEP 25.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

29.39%

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

$138 JEP 103

$83.7 COP 292.1K

65.21%

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

$25.45 JEP 18.98

$9.45 COP 33.0K

169.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 JEP 51.0

$24.11 COP 84.1K

183.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.7 JEP 64.6

$25.31 COP 88.3K

242.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.53 JEP 15.31

$19.14 COP 66.8K

7.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 JEP 11.12

$4.10 COP 14.3K

263.66%

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

$2,018 JEP 1,505

$312 COP 1.1M

546.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K JEP 12.6K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

182.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 JEP 70.6

$58.0 COP 202.6K

62.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 JEP 35.50

$32.56 COP 113.6K

46.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JEP 93.3

$99.6 COP 347.7K

25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 JEP 101

$109 COP 378.8K

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 JEP 1,441

$482 COP 1.7M

300.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 JEP 1,555

$379 COP 1.3M

449.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,453 JEP 2,576

$837 COP 2.9M

312.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,770 JEP 2,813

$723 COP 2.5M

421.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.75

13.43

-79.52%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,931 in St Lawrence versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in St Lawrence versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $190 – 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 Lawrence vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St Lawrence is pricier by about 237%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,133 per month in St Lawrence and $1,525 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 $67.0 in St Lawrence 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 $3,422 in St Lawrence and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in St Lawrence at $3,422. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in St Lawrence 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, St Lawrence makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.