Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Rojo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Rojo: $1,236 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Medellin, Colombia
Cabo Rojo
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,236
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo Rojo and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cabo Rojo and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Cabo Rojo vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Cabo Rojo $1,236
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,948 per month in Cabo Rojo vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Cabo Rojo $1,948
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,660 per month in Cabo Rojo vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Cabo Rojo $2,660
  • Medellin $3,186

Cabo Rojo is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cabo Rojo sits 9% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.19 $10.19
$8.09 COP 25.4K
25.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 $83.4
$47.05 COP 148.0K
77.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.78 $8.78
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-7.58%
Cappuccino
$3.63 $3.63
$3.01 COP 9,485
20.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.80 COP 5,660
2.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.41 COP 4,443
3.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.51 $1.51
$3.18 COP 9,990
-52.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 $3.41
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-40.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.51 COP 4,751
42.38%
White Bread (500g)
$3.73 $3.73
$2.38 COP 7,480
56.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.77 COP 5,573
32.20%
Eggs
$7.32 $7.32
$2.89 COP 9,093
153.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.39 $12.39
$10.19 COP 32.1K
21.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.79 $9.79
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-0.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.09 $13.09
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-6.43%
Apples (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$3.97 COP 12.5K
24.94%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 $2.65
$1.55 COP 4,883
70.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.88 $4.88
$2.18 COP 6,867
123.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.79 $4.79
$2.18 COP 6,870
119.72%
Potato (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$1.96 COP 6,174
95.41%
Onion (1kg)
$3.89 $3.89
$1.59 COP 5,000
144.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.55 $3.55
$1.15 COP 3,604
208.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.24 COP 3,911
33.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.81 $11.81
$3.96 COP 12.5K
198.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.82 $15.82
$13.68 COP 43.0K
15.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.66 COP 5,221
88.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 $4.02
$2.26 COP 7,103
77.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.27 COP 3,989
94.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$2.05 COP 6,442
-28.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.41 $42.41
$8.55 COP 26.9K
396.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.35 COP 4,237
-44.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K $34.2K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
0.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-20.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$325 $325
$170 COP 533.7K
91.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$65.1 $65.1
$13.55 COP 42.6K
380.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 $69.1
$28.07 COP 88.3K
145.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.39 $10.39
$6.91 COP 21.7K
50.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$818 $818
$797 COP 2.5M
2.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K $12.7K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
39.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.6 $55.6
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-34.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.4 $60.4
$58.0 COP 182.3K
4.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 $108
$135 COP 424.6K
-19.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 $114
$97.9 COP 307.9K
15.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$642 COP 2.0M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cabo Rojo
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,288 $4,288
$657 COP 2.1M
552.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
10.94
-40.13%

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

Last update for Cabo Rojo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cabo Rojo
$459
Medellin
$211 54% $248
Groceries & Markets
Cabo Rojo
$416
Medellin
$297 28.6% $119
Eating Out
Cabo Rojo
$179
Medellin
$170 5.2% $9.3
Clothing & Footwear
Cabo Rojo
$152
Medellin
$169 11.2% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Cabo Rojo
$21 *
Medellin
$58 177% $37
Getting Around
Cabo Rojo
$9.8 *
Medellin
$94 853% $84
Accommodation & Living
Cabo Rojo
- *
Medellin
$642

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Cabo Rojo are about 6.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Cabo Rojo versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
18:58 6:58 PM
17:58 5:58 PM
1 h behind Cabo Rojo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,000
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cabo Rojo Medellin 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cabo Rojo
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Cabo Rojo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cabo Rojo or Medellin?
Medellin costs about 33% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cabo Rojo and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Cabo Rojo and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Cabo Rojo compared to Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Cabo Rojo and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Cabo Rojo about 25% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Cabo Rojo and in Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $818 per month in Cabo Rojo and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cabo Rojo or in Medellin?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,236 in Cabo Rojo and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cabo Rojo or Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,236 in Cabo Rojo to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Cabo Rojo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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