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: $2,814 in Castlebar versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,759 in Castlebar versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,704 in Castlebar versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Castlebar is roughly 178% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castlebar is 110% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.34 €14.07

$5.99 COP 21.3K

172.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 €85.0

$32.86 COP 116.9K

200.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.47

$7.09 COP 25.2K

55.15%

Cappuccino

$4.05 €3.48

$1.71 COP 6,093

136.84%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.10 COP 3,910

122.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.78 COP 2,771

165.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 €5.74

$1.68 COP 5,976

296.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 €4.60

$3.07 COP 10.9K

73.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.09 COP 3,892

55.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.26 COP 4,492

17.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.38 COP 4,905

43.48%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.65

$2.19 COP 7,799

93.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$4.40 COP 15.7K

-33.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 €4.07

$5.63 COP 20.0K

-15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 €6.13

$8.89 COP 31.6K

-19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 €2.88

$2.34 COP 8,319

43.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.06 COP 3,764

81.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.50 COP 5,355

92.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$1.38 COP 4,906

111.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.15 COP 4,097

88.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 €0.61

$1.16 COP 4,141

-38.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.89 COP 3,170

46.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.84 COP 2,986

136.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.63 €15.18

$2.28 COP 8,116

673.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 €11.13

$10.64 COP 37.9K

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.16

$1.20 COP 4,268

205.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 €3.28

$2.47 COP 8,793

54.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 €2.82

$0.86 COP 3,045

281.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$145 €125

$41.40 COP 147.3K

251.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.83

$1.47 COP 5,245

202.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.96 COP 6,984

36.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.49 €33.99

$7.74 COP 27.5K

410.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.95 COP 3,397

110.53%

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

$43.2K €37.2K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

138.34%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

49.83%

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

$277 €239

$82.3 COP 292.7K

236.81%

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

$23.98 €20.64

$9.50 COP 33.8K

152.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 €48.49

$24.23 COP 86.2K

132.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 €67.2

$25.89 COP 92.1K

201.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 €29.47

$19.00 COP 67.6K

80.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.06

$3.93 COP 14.0K

197.46%

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

$1,353 €1,165

$309 COP 1.1M

337.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,606 €8,270

$5,965 COP 21.2M

61.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.4

$58.7 COP 208.7K

77.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.34 €30.42

$32.35 COP 115.1K

9.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$103 COP 365.1K

2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €111

$108 COP 385.8K

18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 €1,419

$476 COP 1.7M

246.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,291

$379 COP 1.3M

295.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 €1,725

$838 COP 3.0M

138.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 €1,541

$724 COP 2.6M

147.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 €3,276

$512 COP 1.8M

643.56%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,649 in Castlebar and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castlebar pays 644% 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: $99.0 in Castlebar vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $188 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 178% in total monthly costs ($2,814 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Castlebar pays 644% 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: $1,649 in Castlebar versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,814 per month in Castlebar versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 251% less than in Castlebar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,814 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 178% less than in Castlebar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.