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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,435 per month in Cadca vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Cadca vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,670 per month in Cadca vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Cadca costs about 39% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cadca sits 7% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 €8.02

$5.92 COP 21.2K

58.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.96 €24.70

$33.17 COP 118.7K

-12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 €8.02

$7.25 COP 25.9K

29.66%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.26

$1.71 COP 6,137

54.39%

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

$2.04 €1.74

$1.09 COP 3,915

87.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.38

$0.77 COP 2,743

110.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 €2.00

$1.75 COP 6,254

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.80

$3.18 COP 11.4K

-33.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.89

$1.06 COP 3,792

-0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 €1.40

$1.30 COP 4,657

26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.19

$1.38 COP 4,926

86.23%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.01

$2.21 COP 7,908

59.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 €13.10

$4.52 COP 16.2K

239.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 €6.05

$5.80 COP 20.7K

22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 €6.88

$8.97 COP 32.1K

-10.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$2.29 COP 8,182

-27.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.06 COP 3,791

43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.93

$1.51 COP 5,411

50.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 €4.02

$1.36 COP 4,869

247.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.15

$1.16 COP 4,146

16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.17 COP 4,174

42.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.33

$0.83 COP 2,960

87.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.85 COP 3,043

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$2.35 COP 8,423

187.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 €3.97

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-58.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.15 COP 4,133

64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.47 COP 8,853

-25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 €0.96

$0.79 COP 2,827

43.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.23 €24.93

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-30.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.44 COP 5,140

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.90 COP 6,793

-33.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 €11.75

$7.70 COP 27.6K

78.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.54

$1.03 COP 3,680

75.73%

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

$24.8K €21.2K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

40.39%

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

$25.0K €21.3K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-7.63%

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

$239 €204

$81.4 COP 291.4K

193.33%

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

$28.55 €24.36

$9.42 COP 33.7K

203.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.16 €19.76

$23.77 COP 85.1K

-2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.11 €35.92

$25.86 COP 92.6K

62.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 €14.84

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-10.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.62 €7.35

$4.05 COP 14.5K

112.84%

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

$469 €400

$312 COP 1.1M

50.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,300 €6,227

$6,067 COP 21.7M

20.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 €52.6

$58.9 COP 210.7K

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.08 €27.37

$32.82 COP 117.5K

-2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 €69.1

$100 COP 359.6K

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €86.9

$106 COP 380.3K

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 €501

$490 COP 1.8M

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 €413

$371 COP 1.3M

30.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 €820

$838 COP 3.0M

14.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 €637

$715 COP 2.6M

4.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,566 €3,042

$2,952 COP 10.6M

20.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,083 €1,777

$1,394 COP 5.0M

49.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$893 €762

$532 COP 1.9M

67.86%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $588 in Cadca versus $490 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 68% 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 in Cadca versus $33 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $253 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 39% 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 $2,153 per month in Cadca and $1,544 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 43% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $469 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 $1,030, than in Cadca at $1,435. 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 $1,030 versus $1,435 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.