Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Arouca versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Arouca versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Arouca versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 9% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arouca 30% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 TTD 68.7

$6.16 COP 20.1K

65.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 TTD 602

$32.60 COP 106.1K

173.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 TTD 48.46

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$3.64 TTD 24.54

$1.72 COP 5,600

111.63%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.36

$1.05 COP 3,420

3.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.50

$0.77 COP 2,515

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 TTD 12.30

$1.69 COP 5,488

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 TTD 21.34

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 TTD 18.06

$1.05 COP 3,423

155.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 TTD 18.46

$1.30 COP 4,236

110.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.70

$1.40 COP 4,544

87.86%

Eggs

$4.95 TTD 33.36

$2.16 COP 7,047

129.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 TTD 54.6

$4.39 COP 14.3K

84.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 TTD 71.2

$5.88 COP 19.1K

79.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 TTD 95.6

$8.64 COP 28.1K

64.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 TTD 38.53

$2.28 COP 7,426

150.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.33

$1.11 COP 3,604

131.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 TTD 29.14

$1.53 COP 4,983

182.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 TTD 32.79

$1.35 COP 4,410

260.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.73

$1.13 COP 3,674

27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.22

$1.13 COP 3,692

46.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 TTD 12.81

$0.85 COP 2,753

123.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.44

$0.91 COP 2,975

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 TTD 39.12

$2.34 COP 7,630

147.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 TTD 129

$12.37 COP 40.3K

54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 TTD 14.95

$1.20 COP 3,909

85.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 TTD 19.23

$2.49 COP 8,104

14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 TTD 7.01

$1.42 COP 4,623

-26.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.28

$1.92 COP 6,235

-35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.06 TTD 101

$7.66 COP 24.9K

96.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 TTD 7.44

$0.99 COP 3,223

11.11%

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

$33.8K TTD 227.5K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

87.23%

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

$39.1K TTD 263.2K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

46.68%

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

$79.4 TTD 535

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-1.76%

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

$46.34 TTD 312

$9.95 COP 32.4K

365.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 TTD 412

$24.18 COP 78.7K

152.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 TTD 67.4

$3.98 COP 13.0K

151.01%

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

$326 TTD 2,199

$305 COP 993.5K

6.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,079 TTD 47.7K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

16.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 TTD 400

$58.1 COP 189.2K

2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.67 TTD 261

$32.20 COP 104.8K

20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 TTD 968

$101 COP 327.9K

42.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 850

$108 COP 350.8K

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

13.43

-59.94%

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

Last update for Arouca: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $89.0 in Arouca vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 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

Arouca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arouca and Medellin differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $1,031 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,407 in Arouca and $1,546 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $326 in Arouca 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 Arouca – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Arouca versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca 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.

Expats usually find Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.