Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sur and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,149 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sur, Oman
Medellin, Colombia
Sur
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,149
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Sur vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sur $1,149
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,653 per month in Sur vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sur $1,653
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,156 per month in Sur vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sur $2,156
  • Medellin $3,186

Sur is about 30% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sur sits 16% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.88 OMR 1.49
$8.09 COP 25.4K
-52.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.96 OMR 9.99
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-44.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.63 OMR 2.94
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-19.68%
Cappuccino
$5.05 OMR 1.94
$3.01 COP 9,485
67.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 OMR 0.28
$1.80 COP 5,660
-59.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 OMR 0.10
$1.41 COP 4,443
-80.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.80 OMR 4.93
$3.18 COP 9,990
302.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.79 OMR 4.92
$5.75 COP 18.1K
122.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 OMR 0.61
$1.51 COP 4,751
5.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.23 OMR 0.48
$2.38 COP 7,480
-48.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 OMR 0.66
$1.77 COP 5,573
-2.26%
Eggs
$1.95 OMR 0.75
$2.89 COP 9,093
-32.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.19 OMR 2.77
$10.19 COP 32.1K
-29.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.81 OMR 2.62
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-31.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.99 OMR 3.46
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-35.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 OMR 0.91
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-40.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 OMR 0.49
$1.55 COP 4,883
-17.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.06 OMR 0.41
$2.18 COP 6,867
-51.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.80 OMR 0.31
$2.18 COP 6,870
-63.30%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 OMR 0.29
$1.96 COP 6,174
-61.22%
Onion (1kg)
$0.54 OMR 0.21
$1.59 COP 5,000
-66.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 OMR 0.60
$1.15 COP 3,604
34.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 OMR 0.21
$1.24 COP 3,911
-57.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.38 OMR 2.45
$3.96 COP 12.5K
61.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.86 OMR 6.11
$13.68 COP 43.0K
15.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$6.10 OMR 2.35
$1.66 COP 5,221
267.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.30 OMR 3.96
$2.26 COP 7,103
355.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Sur
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 OMR 1.28
$1.27 COP 3,989
161.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.61 OMR 1.01
$2.05 COP 6,442
27.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.74 OMR 2.98
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-9.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.53 OMR 0.20
$1.35 COP 4,237
-60.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K OMR 9,491
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-27.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K OMR 7,965
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-40.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.7 OMR 29.90
$170 COP 533.7K
-54.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.09 OMR 8.89
$13.55 COP 42.6K
70.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.7 OMR 26.85
$28.07 COP 88.3K
148.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$86.3 OMR 33.21
$43.70 COP 137.5K
97.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.25 OMR 3.95
$6.91 COP 21.7K
48.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$502 OMR 193
$797 COP 2.5M
-36.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,458 OMR 2,486
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-29.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.9 OMR 21.89
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-32.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.07 OMR 16.97
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-23.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.9 OMR 34.23
$135 COP 424.6K
-34.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 OMR 34.01
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-9.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sur
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$257 OMR 99.0
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-78.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$271 OMR 104
$642 COP 2.0M
-57.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$467 OMR 180
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-76.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 OMR 148
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-61.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$583 OMR 224
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-86.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$515 OMR 198
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-73.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sur
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,660 OMR 1,024
$657 COP 2.1M
304.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
10.94
-52.01%

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

Last update for Sur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sur
$271
Medellin
$642 137% $371
Groceries & Markets
Sur
$252
Medellin
$297 17.9% $45
Eating Out
Sur
$208
Medellin
$170 18.5% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sur
$170
Medellin
$211 23.9% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Sur
$125
Medellin
$169 35% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Sur
$107
Medellin
$58 46.1% $49
Getting Around
Sur
$16 *
Medellin
$94 471% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Sur versus $1,208 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 in Sur are about 4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Sur versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $297 – making Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇴🇲 Sur
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
01:19 1:19 AM
16:19 4:19 PM
9 h behind Sur
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
120,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.429 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sur Medellin 14,180 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sur
  • 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
Sur vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sur cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,724 per month in Sur and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Sur or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Sur and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Sur and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sur or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,149, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sur or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Sur vs other spots: cost of living compared

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