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

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Livingcost

Medellin San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$873
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2221
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$395
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$782
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$264
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$130
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$417
$923
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
67
60
😀 Quality of life
53
65
🏙️ Population
2.53M
342K

The cost of living in Medellin is 30% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6207th and 4497th ($873 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 5th 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 6039th and 4226th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Medellin vs San Jose, Costa Rica infographic

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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
$5.77
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$24
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.82
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.83
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$1.96
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.98
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$436
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$300
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$864
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$646
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$45.7
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$70.3
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$21.7
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
15.54%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1473
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1403
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.72
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$43
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12.7
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.98
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.06
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.28
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.21
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.4
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.4
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.22
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.92
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.14
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.53
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.59
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.7
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.05
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.18
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.27
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.2
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.89
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.22
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$27
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.13
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$35.3
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.07
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.2
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$91.7
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$239
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$6129
$12846

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$871
9.9 km or 6.1 mi Bello
$789
131 km or 82 mi Manizales
$653
135 km or 84 mi Quibdo
$661
160 km or 99 mi Pereira
$641
171 km or 106 mi Cartago
$619
179 km or 111 mi Salento
$562
190 km or 118 mi Armenia
$541
205 km or 127 mi Ibague
$501
209 km or 130 mi Facatativa
$641
212 km or 131 mi Barrancabermeja
$573
221 km or 137 mi Zipaquira
$681
232 km or 144 mi Girardot
$483
239 km or 148 mi Soacha
$748
242 km or 150 mi Turbo
$634
246 km or 153 mi Bogota
$868
250 km or 155 mi Tulua
$477
257 km or 160 mi Tunja
$526
282 km or 175 mi Monteria
$620
285 km or 177 mi Duitama
$851
288 km or 179 mi Bucaramanga
$642
289 km or 179 mi Floridablanca
$584
298 km or 185 mi Sogamoso
$523
308 km or 192 mi Buenaventura
$718
312 km or 194 mi Palmira
$652
318 km or 198 mi Villavicencio
$475
329 km or 204 mi Cali
$733
331 km or 206 mi Ocana
$590
334 km or 208 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$638
340 km or 211 mi Sincelejo
$506
346 km or 215 mi Magangue
$582
367 km or 228 mi Yopal
$687
370 km or 230 mi Neiva
$520
386 km or 240 mi Cucuta
$552
387 km or 241 mi San Antonio del Tachira
$601
391 km or 243 mi Rubio
$598
406 km or 252 mi San Cristobal
$592
410 km or 255 mi Tariba
$598
438 km or 272 mi Popayan
$462
448 km or 279 mi La Grita
$617

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1246
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1233
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$961
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1277
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1201
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1310
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$898
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1687
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$890
246 km or 153 mi David
$833
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$664
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$697
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$712
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$774
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$550
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1056
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$457
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$639
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1098
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1091
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1182
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$953
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1249
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1384
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1231
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1249
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$829
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1081
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1088
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$715
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$734
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1192
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1173
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1161
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1145
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1202
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$650
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$883