Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Medellin

😐 Solo nomad: Cartago is 77.9% more expensive than Medellin without rent, and 44.3% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Cartago is 63% more expensive than Medellin without rent, and 28.3% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 ₡3,921

$5.97 COP 21.9K

32.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 ₡15.9K

$32.40 COP 119.0K

-1.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 ₡4,380

$7.13 COP 26.2K

23.84%

Cappuccino

$3.92 ₡1,944

$1.65 COP 6,043

137.58%

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

$2.03 ₡1,007

$1.06 COP 3,882

91.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₡617

$0.77 COP 2,839

61.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₡1,000

$1.75 COP 6,418

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 ₡2,268

$3.06 COP 11.2K

49.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡1,012

$1.10 COP 4,026

85.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 ₡1,104

$1.30 COP 4,771

71.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ₡1,079

$1.34 COP 4,905

62.69%

Eggs

$2.94 ₡1,459

$2.26 COP 8,299

30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 ₡3,973

$4.50 COP 16.5K

78.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 ₡4,642

$5.80 COP 21.3K

61.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.59 ₡6,737

$8.96 COP 32.9K

51.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ₡2,213

$2.37 COP 8,691

88.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ₡580

$1.07 COP 3,939

9.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 ₡1,948

$1.48 COP 5,418

165.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,349

$1.36 COP 5,011

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ₡998

$1.13 COP 4,135

77.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ₡994

$1.13 COP 4,161

76.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₡473

$0.89 COP 3,274

6.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₡966

$0.85 COP 3,114

129.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 ₡2,586

$2.28 COP 8,361

128.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 ₡6,957

$10.15 COP 37.3K

38.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,207

$1.19 COP 4,359

105.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡911

$2.40 COP 8,828

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₡506

$0.84 COP 3,074

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 ₡34.6K

$40.85 COP 150.0K

71.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ₡702

$1.48 COP 5,417

-4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 ₡887

$1.89 COP 6,949

-5.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 ₡3,963

$8.05 COP 29.5K

-0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡703

$0.94 COP 3,455

51.06%

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

$38.3K ₡19.0M

$17.7K COP 65.1M

115.98%

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

$32.1K ₡15.9M

$26.4K COP 96.8M

21.59%

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

$48.20 ₡23.9K

$81.9 COP 300.7K

-41.14%

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

$25.57 ₡12.7K

$9.54 COP 35.0K

168.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 ₡27.9K

$23.68 COP 87.0K

137.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ₡27.8K

$25.85 COP 94.9K

116.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 ₡11.9K

$18.72 COP 68.7K

27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 ₡3,269

$4.05 COP 14.9K

62.72%

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

$496 ₡245.9K

$316 COP 1.2M

57.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,196 ₡3.6M

$5,971 COP 21.9M

20.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ₡30.6K

$59.0 COP 216.4K

4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 ₡25.5K

$32.49 COP 119.3K

58.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡54.4K

$99.9 COP 366.7K

9.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ₡39.7K

$108 COP 394.9K

-25.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₡375.4K

$491 COP 1.8M

54.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₡291.5K

$371 COP 1.4M

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 ₡362.2K

$821 COP 3.0M

-11.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡376.9K

$731 COP 2.7M

3.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,019 COP 11.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 ₡608.8K

$517 COP 1.9M

137.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-25.54%

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

Last update for Cartago: January 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: January 12, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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