Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Antigua Guatemala is roughly 24% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 4% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 Q 39.54

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 Q 406

$32.60 COP 106.1K

63.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 Q 48.41

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-13.49%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.05

$1.72 COP 5,600

98.84%

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

$1.19 Q 9.07

$1.05 COP 3,420

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 Q 7.39

$0.77 COP 2,515

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 Q 29.89

$1.69 COP 5,488

131.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 Q 35.72

$3.17 COP 10.3K

47.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 Q 14.54

$1.05 COP 3,423

81.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 Q 24.20

$1.30 COP 4,236

144.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.09

$1.40 COP 4,544

13.57%

Eggs

$2.53 Q 19.31

$2.16 COP 7,047

17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.46 Q 56.9

$4.39 COP 14.3K

69.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 Q 64.4

$5.88 COP 19.1K

43.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 Q 77.6

$8.64 COP 28.1K

17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 Q 27.81

$2.28 COP 7,426

60.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.56

$1.11 COP 3,604

36.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.02

$1.53 COP 4,983

105.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.11

$1.35 COP 4,410

17.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 Q 13.34

$1.13 COP 3,674

54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$1.13 COP 3,692

56.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Q 5.59

$0.85 COP 2,753

-14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.15

$0.91 COP 2,975

31.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 Q 27.15

$2.34 COP 7,630

52.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.5

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-34.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Q 12.77

$1.20 COP 3,909

39.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 Q 19.16

$2.49 COP 8,104

0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 Q 15.61

$0.84 COP 2,728

144.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 Q 35.93

$1.42 COP 4,623

231.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 Q 120

$7.66 COP 24.9K

105.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.49

$0.99 COP 3,223

12.12%

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

$19.4K Q 148.1K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

7.76%

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

$22.5K Q 171.5K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-15.49%

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

$49.84 Q 380

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-38.32%

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

$26.09 Q 199

$9.95 COP 32.4K

162.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.09 Q 374

$24.18 COP 78.7K

103.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 Q 307

$25.08 COP 81.7K

60.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.79 Q 212

$19.15 COP 62.3K

45.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 Q 55.2

$3.98 COP 13.0K

81.91%

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

$249 Q 1,894

$305 COP 993.5K

-18.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Q 44.6K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-3.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.36 Q 361

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 Q 412

$32.20 COP 104.8K

67.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 Q 764

$101 COP 327.9K

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 Q 655

$108 COP 350.8K

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 Q 6,705

$477 COP 1.6M

84.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 Q 4,199

$376 COP 1.2M

46.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 Q 15.5K

$845 COP 2.7M

140.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 Q 9,607

$730 COP 2.4M

72.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,046 Q 23.2K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-5.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 Q 9,189

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-12.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 Q 4,144

$617 COP 2.0M

-11.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

13.43

-36.71%

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

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Antigua Guatemala and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Antigua Guatemala vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antigua Guatemala and Medellin differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,281 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $880 in Antigua Guatemala versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Antigua Guatemala versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antigua Guatemala and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.