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: $775 in Arouca versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,317 in Arouca versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,859 in Arouca versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 55% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arouca is 44% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 TTD 67.5

$8.03 COP 25.2K

26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 TTD 399

$48.26 COP 151.7K

24.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 TTD 53.6

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-17.50%

Cappuccino

$3.79 TTD 25.23

$2.91 COP 9,149

30.24%

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

$0.99 TTD 6.59

$1.94 COP 6,110

-48.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 TTD 4.84

$1.52 COP 4,783

-51.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 TTD 12.46

$3.09 COP 9,721

-39.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 TTD 16.78

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-56.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 TTD 13.26

$1.36 COP 4,287

46.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 TTD 15.61

$2.39 COP 7,505

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 TTD 18.79

$1.70 COP 5,346

65.88%

Eggs

$3.74 TTD 24.87

$2.87 COP 9,021

30.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 TTD 43.88

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-33.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 TTD 66.6

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.07 TTD 60.4

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-38.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 TTD 35.94

$4.09 COP 12.8K

32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 TTD 16.91

$1.57 COP 4,940

61.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 TTD 24.26

$2.13 COP 6,682

71.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 TTD 29.23

$2.21 COP 6,959

98.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 TTD 4.71

$2.05 COP 6,435

-65.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 TTD 4.84

$1.50 COP 4,728

-51.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 TTD 9.55

$1.19 COP 3,740

20.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 TTD 8.04

$1.16 COP 3,640

4.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 TTD 36.83

$3.90 COP 12.2K

42.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.82 TTD 119

$14.44 COP 45.4K

23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 TTD 9.83

$1.58 COP 4,978

-6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 TTD 20.55

$2.83 COP 8,889

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 TTD 6.09

$1.28 COP 4,038

-28.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 TTD 5.94

$2.09 COP 6,576

-57.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.87 TTD 99.0

$8.62 COP 27.1K

72.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.77

$1.30 COP 4,080

-10.00%

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

$37.5K TTD 249.6K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

35.62%

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

$40.4K TTD 269.1K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

13.88%

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

$43.83 TTD 292

$176 COP 553.4K

-75.11%

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

$42.70 TTD 284

$13.37 COP 42.0K

219.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.62 TTD 297

$29.89 COP 94.0K

49.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 TTD 59.7

$6.20 COP 19.5K

44.84%

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

$400 TTD 2,661

$793 COP 2.5M

-49.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K TTD 68.3K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

13.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 TTD 361

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-36.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.15 TTD 247

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-36.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 TTD 580

$136 COP 428.4K

-36.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 TTD 590

$103 COP 324.1K

-14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

10.94

-47.44%

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

Last update for Arouca: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Arouca vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $303 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 121% in total monthly costs ($775 vs $1,716 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,162 in Arouca and $2,574 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 $400 in Arouca versus $793 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 $60.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $775 in Arouca versus $1,716 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 121% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.