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 $3,351 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,927 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,503 per month in St Lawrence vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 234% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Lawrence sits 152% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 JEP 15.43

$5.91 COP 18.6K

251.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 JEP 49.94

$32.96 COP 103.8K

103.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 JEP 8.21

$7.43 COP 23.4K

48.72%

Cappuccino

$4.11 JEP 3.06

$1.65 COP 5,207

149.09%

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

$1.35 JEP 1.00

$1.10 COP 3,468

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 JEP 1.03

$0.78 COP 2,458

78.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 JEP 3.07

$1.72 COP 5,412

140.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 JEP 5.16

$3.18 COP 10.0K

118.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 JEP 1.27

$1.10 COP 3,474

55.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 JEP 1.48

$1.26 COP 3,962

57.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$1.38 COP 4,349

44.93%

Eggs

$5.41 JEP 4.02

$2.18 COP 6,858

148.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 JEP 3.05

$4.49 COP 14.1K

-8.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 JEP 8.91

$5.79 COP 18.2K

107.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 JEP 5.14

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 JEP 3.04

$2.32 COP 7,308

76.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 JEP 1.53

$1.06 COP 3,352

94.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 JEP 2.57

$1.52 COP 4,774

127.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 JEP 3.19

$1.36 COP 4,270

215.44%

Potato (1kg)

$4.00 JEP 2.97

$1.13 COP 3,552

253.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JEP 2.00

$1.17 COP 3,689

130.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 JEP 1.53

$0.90 COP 2,838

128.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 JEP 1.22

$0.90 COP 2,823

82.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.35 JEP 8.43

$2.23 COP 7,034

408.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 JEP 8.00

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 JEP 3.00

$1.19 COP 3,743

239.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 JEP 4.99

$2.48 COP 7,815

170.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 JEP 2.54

$0.85 COP 2,687

302.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 JEP 52.0

$41.62 COP 131.0K

68.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 JEP 4.52

$1.42 COP 4,459

328.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 JEP 2.88

$1.95 COP 6,141

98.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 JEP 2.04

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-65.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$0.99 COP 3,118

102.02%

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

$22.8K JEP 16.9K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

29.53%

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

$34.3K JEP 25.5K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

28.17%

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

$134 JEP 99.2

$83.0 COP 261.4K

60.86%

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

$24.87 JEP 18.48

$9.70 COP 30.5K

156.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 JEP 50.8

$23.52 COP 74.1K

190.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.9 JEP 66.8

$25.26 COP 79.5K

255.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 JEP 15.11

$19.10 COP 60.1K

6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 JEP 11.12

$3.95 COP 12.4K

278.73%

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

$2,022 JEP 1,503

$316 COP 994.2K

540.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K JEP 12.6K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

183.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 JEP 71.8

$60.0 COP 188.9K

61.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 JEP 35.51

$31.82 COP 100.2K

50.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JEP 93.2

$102 COP 320.1K

23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 JEP 100

$107 COP 338.3K

25.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 JEP 1,402

$475 COP 1.5M

297.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 JEP 1,568

$374 COP 1.2M

464.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,454 JEP 2,566

$849 COP 2.7M

306.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,753 JEP 2,789

$719 COP 2.3M

421.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,887 in St Lawrence versus $475 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: $328 vs $193 – 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 234%, 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 $5,026 per month in St Lawrence and $1,504 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 $3,351 in St Lawrence and $1,003 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 $1,003, than in St Lawrence at $3,351. 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.