Cost of Living Comparison Between Caguas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Caguas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,576 per month in Caguas vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,517 per month in Caguas vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,457 per month in Caguas vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Caguas costs about 52% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Caguas sits 18% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$5.92 COP 21.5K

149.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 $82.6

$32.75 COP 119.1K

152.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.17 $8.17

$7.20 COP 26.2K

13.47%

Cappuccino

$2.72 $2.72

$1.70 COP 6,186

60.00%

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

$1.54 $1.54

$1.10 COP 3,996

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.72 COP 2,625

48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.67 COP 6,067

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.10 COP 11.3K

29.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.06 COP 3,837

125.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.25 COP 4,531

128.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.39 COP 5,060

56.12%

Eggs

$5.30 $5.30

$2.26 COP 8,229

134.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$4.33 COP 15.8K

56.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$5.84 COP 21.2K

11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 $10.39

$8.83 COP 32.1K

17.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.24 COP 8,159

164.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.08 COP 3,911

125.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.53 COP 5,563

-3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.37 COP 4,987

200.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.13 COP 4,109

115.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.12 COP 4,067

171.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.85 COP 3,080

172.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.91 COP 3,305

109.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 $10.37

$2.33 COP 8,477

345.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 $14.18

$11.13 COP 40.5K

27.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.19 COP 4,342

26.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.37 COP 8,617

-6.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.79 COP 2,859

154.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 $69.0

$41.13 COP 149.6K

67.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.91 COP 6,952

-20.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.02 COP 29.2K

87.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.94 COP 3,410

-6.38%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

66.51%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-3.25%

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

$184 $184

$84.0 COP 305.4K

119.69%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$9.60 COP 34.9K

521.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 $55.5

$24.16 COP 87.9K

129.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.37 $21.37

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-17.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 $50.1

$19.04 COP 69.3K

163.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 $9.01

$3.92 COP 14.2K

129.85%

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

$305 $305

$306 COP 1.1M

-0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

75.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.08 $20.08

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-65.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.77 $35.77

$31.82 COP 115.7K

12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 $69.9

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-30.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 $89.9

$107 COP 389.7K

-16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 $766

$487 COP 1.8M

57.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 $539

$368 COP 1.3M

46.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$826 COP 3.0M

116.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 $977

$716 COP 2.6M

36.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 $2,358

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-19.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$871 $871

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-38.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,018 $3,018

$546 COP 2.0M

453.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

13.43

-63.89%

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

Last update for Caguas: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $766 in Caguas versus $487 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 453% higher in Caguas, 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 $83.0 in Caguas versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Caguas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caguas costs about 52% 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 $2,364 per month in Caguas and $1,550 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Caguas and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,576 in Caguas and $1,034 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Caguas at $1,576. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caguas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,034 versus $1,576 in Caguas. 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, Caguas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.