Cost of Living Comparison Between Castlebar and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Castlebar and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,867 in Castlebar versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,805 in Castlebar versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,743 in Castlebar versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Castlebar is roughly 183% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castlebar is 113% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.43 €13.98

$6.14 COP 22.2K

167.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 €85.1

$33.05 COP 119.3K

202.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 €9.23

$7.32 COP 26.4K

48.09%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.44

$1.66 COP 5,987

143.37%

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

$2.37 €2.02

$1.10 COP 3,987

115.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.70

$0.78 COP 2,822

156.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 €5.68

$1.71 COP 6,188

290.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 €4.54

$3.17 COP 11.5K

68.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.11 COP 4,012

51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.31 COP 4,719

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 €1.70

$1.38 COP 4,980

44.93%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.60

$2.22 COP 8,009

90.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.94 €2.50

$4.34 COP 15.7K

-32.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 €4.02

$5.80 COP 20.9K

-18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 €5.99

$8.98 COP 32.4K

-21.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.82

$2.26 COP 8,164

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$1.11 COP 4,023

75.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 €2.46

$1.46 COP 5,284

97.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 €2.51

$1.37 COP 4,929

115.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.91

$1.11 COP 4,009

101.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.16 COP 4,199

-39.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.12

$0.89 COP 3,211

47.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.79

$0.87 COP 3,124

142.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 €14.80

$2.35 COP 8,495

640.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 €10.90

$10.86 COP 39.2K

17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.00

$1.20 COP 4,330

193.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 €3.27

$2.48 COP 8,946

54.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.78

$0.79 COP 2,842

313.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 €126

$40.77 COP 147.2K

263.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.64

$1.42 COP 5,137

201.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 €2.29

$1.91 COP 6,900

40.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.84 €33.05

$7.65 COP 27.6K

407.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$0.97 COP 3,490

107.22%

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

$43.1K €36.6K

$18.1K COP 65.3M

137.96%

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

$39.8K €33.8K

$26.3K COP 95.0M

51.17%

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

$283 €240

$81.3 COP 293.5K

247.44%

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

$23.94 €20.37

$9.63 COP 34.8K

148.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 €48.36

$24.36 COP 88.0K

133.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.5 €66.8

$26.02 COP 93.9K

201.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.87 €29.68

$18.92 COP 68.3K

84.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 €9.89

$3.89 COP 14.0K

198.71%

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

$1,341 €1,141

$304 COP 1.1M

340.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,696 €8,251

$5,902 COP 21.3M

64.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.4

$58.7 COP 211.8K

82.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.70 €29.53

$32.48 COP 117.2K

6.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.3

$102 COP 367.3K

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €109

$108 COP 390.4K

18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 €1,431

$474 COP 1.7M

254.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 €1,259

$371 COP 1.3M

299.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 €1,708

$848 COP 3.1M

136.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 €1,506

$716 COP 2.6M

147.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,948 €3,360

$542 COP 2.0M

629.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

13.43

-69.92%

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

Last update for Castlebar: April 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,681 in Castlebar and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castlebar pays 629% 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: $100 in Castlebar vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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

Castlebar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castlebar and Medellin differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($2,867 vs $1,014 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Castlebar pays 629% more on average, 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: $1,681 in Castlebar versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,867 per month in Castlebar versus $1,014 in Medellin – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 264% less than in Castlebar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,867 in Castlebar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Castlebar. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Castlebar 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 183% less than in Castlebar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.