Medellin vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

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Livingcost

Medellin San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1071
$1454
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2607
$3624
🏠 One person rent
$514
$697
🏘️ Family rent
$888
$1213
🍽️ Food expenses
$314
$527
🚐 Transport expenses
$145
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$536
$935
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
65
60
😀 Quality of life
63
72
🏙️ Population
2.53M
335K

The cost of living in Medellin is 26% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 5161st and 4213th ($1071 vs $1454) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 2nd in Colombia and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Colombia vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Medellin compared to 0.6 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Medellin ranked 2nd best city to live in Colombia vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 5624th and 3173rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Medellin vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Medellin and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Medellin San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$6.31
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$30.2
$51
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.32
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.38
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$2.34
$4.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.29
$2.14
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$594
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$390
$531
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1079
$1484
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$695
$973
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$58.8
$54.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$91.9
$83.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$24.4
$53.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.08%
9.69%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2533
$2465
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1334
$1757
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.93
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$50.8
$48.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13
$15.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.15
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$2.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.48
$2.62
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$2.38
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.57
$3.03
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.98
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.82
$8.94
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.25
$13.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.89
$4.34
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.59
$4.35
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.4
$3.48
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.21
$3.75
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.16
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.67
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.27
$3.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.4
$20.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.29
$2.64
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.91
$5.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.39
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.46
$9.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.9
$3.47
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$4.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$32.6
$59.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.48
$7.93
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$36.1
$96.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.5
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$68.2
$67.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$111
$129
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$463
$704
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7264
$14663

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Medellin

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Envigado
$992
9.9 km or 6.1 mi Bello
$915
131 km or 82 mi Manizales
$717
135 km or 84 mi Quibdo
$757
160 km or 99 mi Pereira
$789
171 km or 106 mi Cartago
$738
179 km or 111 mi Salento
$709
190 km or 118 mi Armenia
$719
205 km or 127 mi Ibague
$529
209 km or 130 mi Facatativa
$777
212 km or 131 mi Barrancabermeja
$1040
221 km or 137 mi Zipaquira
$813
232 km or 144 mi Girardot
$547
239 km or 148 mi Soacha
$919
242 km or 150 mi Turbo
$764
246 km or 153 mi Bogota
$1062
250 km or 155 mi Tulua
$537
257 km or 160 mi Tunja
$667
282 km or 175 mi Monteria
$703
285 km or 177 mi Duitama
$1019
288 km or 179 mi Bucaramanga
$754
289 km or 179 mi Floridablanca
$744
298 km or 185 mi Sogamoso
$614
308 km or 192 mi Buenaventura
$825
312 km or 194 mi Palmira
$746
318 km or 198 mi Villavicencio
$575
329 km or 204 mi Cali
$829
331 km or 206 mi Ocana
$732
334 km or 208 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$764
340 km or 211 mi Sincelejo
$572
346 km or 215 mi Magangue
$707
367 km or 228 mi Yopal
$750
370 km or 230 mi Neiva
$592
386 km or 240 mi Cucuta
$646
387 km or 241 mi San Antonio del Tachira
$676
391 km or 243 mi Rubio
$673
406 km or 252 mi San Cristobal
$687
410 km or 255 mi Tariba
$675
438 km or 272 mi Popayan
$606
448 km or 279 mi La Grita
$685

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1378
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1323
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1290
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$825
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1332
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1273
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$957
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1832
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$840
246 km or 153 mi David
$922
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$782
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$699
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$812
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$796
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$679
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$470
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$754
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$687
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1153
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$787
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1154
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1179
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$977
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1425
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1583
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1403
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1395
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1120
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1109
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$705
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$737
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1274
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1246
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1237
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1221
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1178
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$804