Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Catamarca and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Catamarca: $1,250 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Catamarca
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Catamarca Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Catamarca

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,250

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Catamarca versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Catamarca $1,141
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,902 in Catamarca versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Catamarca $1,902
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,664 in Catamarca versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Catamarca $2,664
Medellin $3,139

Living in Catamarca costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Catamarca is 15% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 ARS 25.6K

$7.93 COP 25.3K

112.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.8 ARS 96.7K

$46.13 COP 147.4K

38.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 ARS 17.0K

$9.50 COP 30.4K

18.11%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,853

$3.11 COP 9,940

24.12%

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

$2.09 ARS 3,166

$1.83 COP 5,843

14.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ARS 3,035

$1.38 COP 4,393

44.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 ARS 5,169

$3.05 COP 9,744

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ARS 7,020

$5.50 COP 17.6K

-15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ARS 2,236

$1.45 COP 4,634

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 ARS 3,712

$2.36 COP 7,552

3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,087

$1.68 COP 5,368

21.43%

Eggs

$2.97 ARS 4,509

$2.86 COP 9,145

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ARS 14.6K

$10.19 COP 32.5K

-5.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 ARS 12.4K

$9.53 COP 30.4K

-14.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 ARS 17.1K

$14.04 COP 44.8K

-19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,165

$4.07 COP 13.0K

-48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,358

$1.50 COP 4,778

47.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 2,165

$2.17 COP 6,943

-34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ARS 3,961

$2.31 COP 7,365

12.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 ARS 1,765

$1.93 COP 6,159

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.64 COP 5,235

-40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,597

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.25 COP 3,984

36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ARS 5,747

$3.99 COP 12.7K

-5.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 ARS 6,854

$13.35 COP 42.6K

-66.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ARS 2,813

$1.70 COP 5,424

8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,854

$2.37 COP 7,581

35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ARS 1,403

$1.21 COP 3,856

-23.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 ARS 2,523

$1.32 COP 4,211

25.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,686

$1.30 COP 4,145

-14.62%

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

$25.9K ARS 39.2M

$28.0K COP 89.4M

-7.57%

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

$34.0K ARS 51.6M

$35.4K COP 113.1M

-3.96%

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

$111 ARS 168.2K

$172 COP 549.7K

-35.53%

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

$16.12 ARS 24.4K

$13.37 COP 42.7K

20.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.95 ARS 43.9K

$28.73 COP 91.8K

0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.54 ARS 44.8K

$45.24 COP 144.5K

-34.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 ARS 12.7K

$6.28 COP 20.1K

33.76%

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

$302 ARS 458.0K

$770 COP 2.5M

-60.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ARS 174.6K

$86.4 COP 276.0K

33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ARS 164.3K

$137 COP 436.2K

-20.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 ARS 229.6K

$97.9 COP 312.8K

54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ARS 895.7K

$1,055 COP 3.4M

-44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ARS 545.8K

$616 COP 2.0M

-41.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 ARS 1.6M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-42.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 ARS 1.4M

$1,023 COP 3.3M

-9.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 13.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Catamarca: 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

Catamarca

$360 28.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 71.1% $256

Eating Out

Catamarca

$258 20.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 34.6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Catamarca

$256 * 20.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 15.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Catamarca

$169 * 13.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 0.8% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Catamarca

$156 12.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 37.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Catamarca

$46 3.7%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 24.8% $11

Getting Around

Catamarca

$5.4 * 0.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1641% $88

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $488 in Catamarca and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Catamarca vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $288, with Catamarca cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Catamarca

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

2 h behind Catamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,058

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,566 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Catamarca Medellin 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Catamarca
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

Catamarca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Catamarca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,711 in Catamarca and $2,384 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: $488 in Catamarca versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,141 per month in Catamarca versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,141 in Catamarca versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Catamarca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Catamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Catamarca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,141 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Catamarca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Catamarca 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 Catamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.