Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,713 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Cartago despite lower rent and utilities.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartago 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 Cartago and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Cartago $1,713
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Cartago $2,362
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Cartago $3,011
Medellin $3,190

Living in Cartago is roughly 6% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,880

$7.93 COP 25.2K

8.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$46.13 COP 146.7K

-25.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,455

$9.50 COP 30.2K

4.42%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,039

$3.11 COP 9,897

45.98%

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

$2.13 ₡956

$1.83 COP 5,818

16.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$1.38 COP 4,374

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$3.05 COP 9,702

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,822

$5.50 COP 17.5K

-26.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,074

$1.45 COP 4,614

64.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,066

$2.36 COP 7,519

0.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,111

$1.68 COP 5,345

47.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.86 COP 9,106

24.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,866

$10.19 COP 32.4K

-15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,661

$9.53 COP 30.3K

8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,261

$14.04 COP 44.7K

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,355

$4.07 COP 12.9K

28.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.50 COP 4,757

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,017

$2.17 COP 6,913

106.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,308

$2.31 COP 7,333

25.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,005

$1.93 COP 6,132

16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.64 COP 5,212

32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.13 COP 3,582

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$1.25 COP 3,966

74.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,726

$3.99 COP 12.7K

52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,807

$13.35 COP 42.5K

13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,297

$1.70 COP 5,400

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡913

$2.37 COP 7,549

-14.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡613

$1.21 COP 3,839

13.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$76.5 COP 243.3K

-4.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡599

$1.32 COP 4,193

0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$2.14 COP 6,795

-27.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,021

$8.47 COP 26.9K

5.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡678

$1.30 COP 4,127

16.15%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$28.0K COP 89.0M

-22.50%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$35.4K COP 112.6M

-0.83%

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

$52.4 ₡23.5K

$172 COP 547.3K

-69.53%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$13.37 COP 42.5K

162.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$28.73 COP 91.4K

108.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$45.24 COP 143.9K

63.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$17.04 COP 54.2K

356.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,267

$6.28 COP 20.0K

15.76%

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

$549 ₡246.5K

$770 COP 2.4M

-28.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$9,011 COP 28.7M

-12.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$86.4 COP 274.8K

-18.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$57.1 COP 181.7K

-1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$137 COP 434.3K

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$97.9 COP 311.4K

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡414.7K

$1,055 COP 3.4M

-12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.3K

$616 COP 2.0M

14.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.2K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.2K

$1,023 COP 3.3M

-29.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡603.7K

$652 COP 2.1M

106.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 12.6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 15.4% $54

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 9.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 12.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 45.3% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 34.5% $31

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 6.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 106% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Cartago vs $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $295, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

23:17 11:17 PM

1 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartago Medellin 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Cartago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $923 in Cartago versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 5% less than in Cartago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,713 in Cartago, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cartago. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cartago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cartago and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.