Cost of Living Comparison Between Cadca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cadca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,398 per month in Cadca vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Cadca vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,609 per month in Cadca vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Cadca costs about 38% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cadca sits 4% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.50 €8.24

$5.95 COP 21.2K

59.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.73 €24.90

$33.33 COP 118.9K

-13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 €8.11

$7.23 COP 25.8K

29.32%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.33

$1.63 COP 5,811

65.03%

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

$2.01 €1.74

$1.09 COP 3,904

84.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.73 COP 2,604

132.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 €2.10

$1.74 COP 6,197

39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.87

$3.23 COP 11.5K

-33.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.05 COP 3,742

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.29 COP 4,614

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.19

$1.32 COP 4,718

91.67%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.02

$2.27 COP 8,101

53.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.39 €13.34

$4.35 COP 15.5K

253.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 €6.12

$5.88 COP 21.0K

20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 €6.87

$8.61 COP 30.7K

-7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.25 COP 8,015

-28.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.07 COP 3,814

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.52 COP 5,438

55.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 €3.91

$1.42 COP 5,073

218.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.17 COP 4,173

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.17 COP 4,166

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.89 COP 3,163

74.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.90 COP 3,215

-7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.76

$2.25 COP 8,008

195.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 €4.08

$11.04 COP 39.4K

-57.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.14 COP 4,063

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.65

$2.38 COP 8,483

-19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.84 COP 2,979

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.88 €25.03

$41.95 COP 149.6K

-31.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.41 COP 5,019

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.90 COP 6,779

-34.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.98 €12.12

$7.75 COP 27.6K

80.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.01 COP 3,586

76.24%

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

$25.3K €21.9K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

43.73%

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

$25.5K €22.1K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

-3.72%

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

$240 €208

$83.7 COP 298.4K

186.60%

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

$28.01 €24.28

$9.45 COP 33.7K

196.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 €19.54

$24.11 COP 86.0K

-6.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 €36.24

$25.31 COP 90.3K

65.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.53 €15.19

$19.14 COP 68.3K

-8.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 €7.54

$4.10 COP 14.6K

111.95%

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

$456 €395

$312 COP 1.1M

46.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,292 €6,320

$5,993 COP 21.4M

21.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 €52.6

$58.0 COP 207.0K

4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.65 €27.43

$32.56 COP 116.1K

-2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 €69.6

$99.6 COP 355.3K

-19.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €87.3

$109 COP 387.1K

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 €502

$482 COP 1.7M

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 €425

$379 COP 1.4M

29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 €834

$837 COP 3.0M

14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 €653

$723 COP 2.6M

4.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,019

$2,840 COP 10.1M

22.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,545 €2,206

$1,223 COP 4.4M

108.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 €750

$541 COP 1.9M

60.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

13.43

-69.02%

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

Last update for Cadca: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $580 in Cadca versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Cadca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Cadca versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Cadca vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cadca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cadca costs about 38% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,097 per month in Cadca and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $456 per month in Cadca and $312 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Cadca at $1,398. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cadca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,017 versus $1,398 in Cadca. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cadca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.