Cost of Living Comparison Between Castanhal and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Castanhal and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Castanhal versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,348 in Castanhal versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,842 in Castanhal versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Castanhal costs roughly 50% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castanhal is 38% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.84 R$29.94

$8.03 COP 25.1K

-27.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.48 R$136

$48.26 COP 151.0K

-45.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 R$37.67

$9.77 COP 30.6K

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$1.95 R$9.97

$2.91 COP 9,107

-32.99%

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

$1.29 R$6.61

$1.94 COP 6,082

-33.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R$4.00

$1.52 COP 4,760

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 R$9.93

$3.09 COP 9,676

-37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 R$15.06

$5.74 COP 18.0K

-48.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.97

$1.36 COP 4,267

-13.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.41

$2.39 COP 7,470

-31.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.19

$1.70 COP 5,321

-28.82%

Eggs

$2.15 R$11.04

$2.87 COP 8,979

-25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 R$44.00

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.78

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-62.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.34 R$42.74

$14.73 COP 46.1K

-43.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 R$12.07

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-42.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.28

$1.57 COP 4,917

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.97

$2.13 COP 6,651

-45.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.43

$2.21 COP 6,926

-34.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.91

$2.05 COP 6,404

-43.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.80

$1.50 COP 4,706

-24.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.02

$1.19 COP 3,723

-33.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.79

$1.16 COP 3,623

-36.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 R$11.90

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-40.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 R$43.98

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$6.75

$1.58 COP 4,955

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R$11.25

$2.83 COP 8,847

-22.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$5.04

$1.17 COP 3,655

-16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 R$249

$77.7 COP 243.2K

-37.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.49

$1.28 COP 4,019

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$4.93

$2.09 COP 6,546

-54.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 R$37.80

$8.62 COP 27.0K

-14.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.17

$1.30 COP 4,061

-7.69%

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

$25.7K R$131.7K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

-7.06%

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

$35.4K R$181.5K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

-0.27%

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

$71.8 R$368

$176 COP 550.9K

-59.24%

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

$11.43 R$58.6

$13.37 COP 41.8K

-14.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.25 R$109

$29.89 COP 93.5K

-28.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.25 R$129

$44.76 COP 140.0K

-43.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 R$135

$17.06 COP 53.4K

54.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R$34.98

$6.20 COP 19.4K

10.16%

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

$292 R$1,496

$793 COP 2.5M

-63.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,550 R$33.6K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

-27.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 R$270

$85.6 COP 267.8K

-38.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.60 R$249

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 R$468

$136 COP 426.4K

-32.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 R$365

$103 COP 322.6K

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 R$1,573

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-71.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,206

$680 COP 2.1M

-65.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 R$3,621

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-64.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 R$2,281

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-61.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,549 R$7,936

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-62.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 R$5,712

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-34.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

10.94

1.65%

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

Last update for Castanhal: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $307 in Castanhal and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Castanhal vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $303 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

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

Castanhal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,282 in Castanhal and $2,574 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $307 in Castanhal versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Castanhal versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Castanhal versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.