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: $947 in Arouca versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Arouca versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,359 in Arouca versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 7% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arouca 29% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.22 TTD 68.5

$5.99 COP 21.4K

70.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 TTD 601

$32.86 COP 117.4K

173.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 TTD 48.19

$7.09 COP 25.3K

1.41%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.57

$1.71 COP 6,115

114.62%

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

$1.06 TTD 7.09

$1.10 COP 3,924

-3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.20

$0.78 COP 2,781

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.24

$1.68 COP 5,997

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 TTD 20.29

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 TTD 17.86

$1.09 COP 3,906

144.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 TTD 18.21

$1.26 COP 4,508

115.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.22

$1.38 COP 4,922

86.23%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 33.78

$2.19 COP 7,827

130.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 TTD 52.2

$4.40 COP 15.7K

77.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 TTD 69.1

$5.63 COP 20.1K

83.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 TTD 94.7

$8.89 COP 31.8K

58.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 TTD 39.23

$2.34 COP 8,349

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.61

$1.06 COP 3,777

148.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 TTD 28.14

$1.50 COP 5,374

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 TTD 31.33

$1.38 COP 4,924

239.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 TTD 9.55

$1.15 COP 4,111

23.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.13

$1.16 COP 4,155

43.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 TTD 12.78

$0.89 COP 3,182

114.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 TTD 9.71

$0.84 COP 2,997

72.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 TTD 38.62

$2.28 COP 8,145

153.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 TTD 125

$10.64 COP 38.0K

75.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 TTD 14.18

$1.20 COP 4,284

76.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TTD 18.26

$2.47 COP 8,824

10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 TTD 6.97

$1.47 COP 5,264

-29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.24

$1.96 COP 7,009

-37.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.53 TTD 97.3

$7.74 COP 27.6K

87.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 TTD 7.63

$0.95 COP 3,409

20.00%

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

$34.1K TTD 228.8K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

88.33%

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

$39.0K TTD 261.0K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

47.09%

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

$81.2 TTD 544

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-1.34%

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

$45.98 TTD 308

$9.50 COP 33.9K

384.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 TTD 420

$24.23 COP 86.5K

158.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 TTD 68.8

$3.93 COP 14.0K

161.58%

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

$329 TTD 2,207

$309 COP 1.1M

6.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,066 TTD 47.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

18.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 TTD 399

$58.7 COP 209.5K

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.43 TTD 257

$32.35 COP 115.5K

18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 969

$103 COP 366.4K

40.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 TTD 871

$108 COP 387.2K

19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $90.0 in Arouca vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $188 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 7% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $1,013 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,420 in Arouca and $1,519 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 $329 in Arouca versus $309 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 $90.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Arouca versus $1,013 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 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.