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

Updated:

Livingcost

Medellin San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1162
$1574
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2810
$3920
🏠 One person rent
$579
$747
🏘️ Family rent
$997
$1276
🍽️ Food expenses
$327
$579
🚐 Transport expenses
$155
$85.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$535
$1063
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
65
60
😀 Quality of life
64
73
🏙️ Population
2.53M
335K

The cost of living in Medellin is 26% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 4852nd and 3714th ($1162 vs $1574) 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 0.7 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 5346th and 2425th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this picture

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
$6.47
$12.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$33
$49.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.22
$11.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.04
$3.36
☕ Cappuccino
$2.65
$5.2
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.43
$2.34
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$689
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$446
$585
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1244
$1456
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$792
$1048
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$58.4
$58.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$89.3
$89.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$25.9
$56.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
10.36%
9.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2880
$2299
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1250
$1800
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.03
$1.09
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$58.3
$56.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.2
$16
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.17
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.18
$2.43
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.49
$3.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.28
$2.56
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.75
$3.5
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.76
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.27
$9.83
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.54
$13.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.19
$5.01
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.23
$1.73
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$4.77
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.46
$3.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.31
$4.11
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$3.66
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.69
$2.1
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.33
$3.6
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.6
$23.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.35
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.23
$5.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.57
$9.27
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.38
$9.95
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.02
$3.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.52
$4.6
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$35.5
$68.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.63
$8.55
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$35.7
$104
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.3
$16
👖 Brand Jeans
$71.8
$70.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$116
$140
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$533
$814
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$8196
$16872

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Medellin

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Envigado
$1041
9.9 km or 6.1 mi Bello
$1012
131 km or 82 mi Manizales
$737
135 km or 84 mi Quibdo
$802
160 km or 99 mi Pereira
$862
171 km or 106 mi Cartago
$769
179 km or 111 mi Salento
$749
190 km or 118 mi Armenia
$749
205 km or 127 mi Ibague
$537
209 km or 130 mi Facatativa
$816
212 km or 131 mi Barrancabermeja
$1001
221 km or 137 mi Zipaquira
$858
232 km or 144 mi Girardot
$559
239 km or 148 mi Soacha
$958
242 km or 150 mi Turbo
$797
246 km or 153 mi Bogota
$1106
250 km or 155 mi Tulua
$563
257 km or 160 mi Tunja
$680
282 km or 175 mi Monteria
$733
285 km or 177 mi Duitama
$1045
288 km or 179 mi Bucaramanga
$816
289 km or 179 mi Floridablanca
$795
298 km or 185 mi Sogamoso
$630
308 km or 192 mi Buenaventura
$856
312 km or 194 mi Palmira
$788
318 km or 198 mi Villavicencio
$593
329 km or 204 mi Cali
$850
331 km or 206 mi Ocana
$765
334 km or 208 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$789
340 km or 211 mi Sincelejo
$586
346 km or 215 mi Magangue
$727
367 km or 228 mi Yopal
$740
370 km or 230 mi Neiva
$606
386 km or 240 mi Cucuta
$674
387 km or 241 mi San Antonio del Tachira
$678
391 km or 243 mi Rubio
$678
406 km or 252 mi San Cristobal
$685
410 km or 255 mi Tariba
$678
438 km or 272 mi Popayan
$631
448 km or 279 mi La Grita
$687

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1471
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1362
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1361
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$872
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1228
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1325
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1024
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1929
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$844
246 km or 153 mi David
$909
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$796
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$706
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$817
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$788
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$665
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1112
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$503
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$759
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$716
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1147
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$791
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1144
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1185
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$982
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1396
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1590
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1373
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1361
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1132
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1123
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$678
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$756
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1291
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1261
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1254
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1231
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$619
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$832