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 $3,194 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,208 per month in St Lawrence vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,222 per month in St Lawrence vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 90% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both St Lawrence and Medellin sit above the global median – St Lawrence by 133%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.02 JEP 29.69

$8.02 COP 25.0K

399.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 JEP 88.8

$47.87 COP 149.4K

149.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 JEP 8.05

$9.89 COP 30.8K

9.71%

Cappuccino

$5.05 JEP 3.74

$3.13 COP 9,767

61.34%

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

$3.31 JEP 2.46

$1.91 COP 5,954

73.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 JEP 1.86

$1.51 COP 4,712

65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 JEP 5.95

$3.12 COP 9,747

157.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 JEP 4.83

$5.75 COP 17.9K

13.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 JEP 1.67

$1.44 COP 4,509

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 JEP 2.06

$2.49 COP 7,759

11.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 JEP 1.99

$1.77 COP 5,535

51.41%

Eggs

$5.78 JEP 4.29

$2.96 COP 9,235

95.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 JEP 5.39

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-27.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.92 JEP 8.84

$10.12 COP 31.6K

17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 JEP 13.97

$14.30 COP 44.6K

31.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 JEP 3.12

$4.14 COP 12.9K

1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 JEP 2.67

$1.61 COP 5,019

123.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JEP 3.07

$2.25 COP 7,007

84.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 JEP 3.41

$2.25 COP 7,028

104.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JEP 2.38

$2.04 COP 6,375

57.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 JEP 2.35

$1.54 COP 4,790

105.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 JEP 1.41

$1.17 COP 3,651

62.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 JEP 1.84

$1.31 COP 4,077

89.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.23 JEP 15.01

$3.90 COP 12.2K

418.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 JEP 8.08

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 JEP 3.41

$1.74 COP 5,439

163.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 JEP 5.87

$2.87 COP 8,956

175.61%

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)

$5.34 JEP 3.96

$1.31 COP 4,084

307.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 JEP 1.82

$2.19 COP 6,825

12.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.7 JEP 40.61

$8.71 COP 27.2K

528.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 JEP 1.59

$1.37 COP 4,260

56.20%

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

$26.9K JEP 20.0K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

-3.30%

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

$37.2K JEP 27.6K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

4.08%

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

$330 JEP 245

$177 COP 553.2K

86.13%

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

$34.61 JEP 25.68

$13.88 COP 43.3K

149.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 JEP 54.1

$29.72 COP 92.8K

145.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.7 JEP 71.0

$44.88 COP 140.1K

113.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 JEP 14.95

$6.65 COP 20.7K

203.01%

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

$831 JEP 616

$813 COP 2.5M

2.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K JEP 9,074

$9,187 COP 28.7M

33.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 JEP 77.2

$89.5 COP 279.3K

16.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.2 JEP 54.3

$59.0 COP 184.0K

24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 JEP 89.4

$138 COP 431.2K

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 JEP 154

$102 COP 318.7K

103.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 JEP 1,290

$1,062 COP 3.3M

63.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 JEP 1,121

$663 COP 2.1M

127.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,107 JEP 3,047

$1,888 COP 5.9M

117.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 JEP 2,466

$1,027 COP 3.2M

223.53%

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 %)

4.08

10.94

-62.71%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,738 in St Lawrence versus $1,062 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 $120 in St Lawrence versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 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 Lawrence vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St Lawrence is pricier by about 90%, 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 $4,791 per month in St Lawrence and $2,521 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 $120 in St Lawrence and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in St Lawrence, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in St Lawrence at $3,194. 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.