Cost of Living Comparison Between Catamarca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Catamarca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Catamarca versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in Catamarca versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,202 in Catamarca versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Catamarca costs roughly 6% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Catamarca 27% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.34 ARS 15.0K

$6.00 COP 20.6K

72.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.41 ARS 48.5K

$32.84 COP 112.9K

1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 ARS 13.4K

$7.42 COP 25.5K

24.39%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ARS 3,888

$1.65 COP 5,675

62.42%

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

$1.71 ARS 2,485

$1.07 COP 3,673

59.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,254

$0.76 COP 2,614

103.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 ARS 3,147

$1.72 COP 5,925

26.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ARS 4,464

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ARS 1,874

$1.05 COP 3,607

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ARS 2,263

$1.31 COP 4,492

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 ARS 2,839

$1.34 COP 4,604

46.27%

Eggs

$2.16 ARS 3,127

$2.19 COP 7,543

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 ARS 14.4K

$4.41 COP 15.2K

125.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 ARS 9,123

$5.69 COP 19.6K

10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ARS 13.5K

$8.52 COP 29.3K

9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,801

$2.34 COP 8,046

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 3,017

$1.11 COP 3,815

87.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ARS 1,914

$1.52 COP 5,225

-13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 ARS 3,852

$1.37 COP 4,694

94.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,698

$1.15 COP 3,962

1.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,793

$1.18 COP 4,055

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ARS 1,827

$0.84 COP 2,893

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 ARS 2,081

$0.86 COP 2,940

66.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ARS 4,568

$2.26 COP 7,776

39.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 ARS 7,505

$11.60 COP 39.9K

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ARS 2,916

$1.20 COP 4,121

67.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,398

$2.48 COP 8,508

22.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ARS 1,216

$0.79 COP 2,729

6.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ARS 2,141

$1.47 COP 5,038

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,328

$1.92 COP 6,587

-52.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 ARS 8,615

$7.77 COP 26.7K

-23.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ARS 1,596

$1.01 COP 3,474

8.91%

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

$27.6K ARS 40.1M

$17.7K COP 60.7M

56.55%

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

$30.7K ARS 44.5M

$26.5K COP 90.9M

15.92%

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

$66.6 ARS 96.6K

$81.1 COP 278.8K

-17.87%

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

$16.85 ARS 24.4K

$9.43 COP 32.4K

78.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.86 ARS 33.2K

$23.86 COP 82.0K

-4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.19 ARS 38.0K

$25.99 COP 89.4K

0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ARS 19.9K

$18.71 COP 64.3K

-26.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 ARS 8,726

$4.09 COP 14.1K

47.19%

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

$218 ARS 315.7K

$315 COP 1.1M

-30.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,658 ARS 3.9M

$6,022 COP 20.7M

-55.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.1 ARS 107.4K

$59.7 COP 205.2K

24.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 ARS 102.6K

$31.97 COP 109.9K

121.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ARS 166.2K

$101 COP 347.9K

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ARS 161.6K

$105 COP 361.3K

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ARS 497.0K

$485 COP 1.7M

-29.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 ARS 342.3K

$365 COP 1.3M

-35.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 ARS 973.2K

$827 COP 2.8M

-18.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 ARS 780.5K

$730 COP 2.5M

-26.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,851 ARS 2.7M

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-38.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

13.43

335.59%

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

Last update for Catamarca: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Catamarca and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Catamarca vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 6% 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 $1,451 in Catamarca and $1,542 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: $343 in Catamarca versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $968 per month in Catamarca versus $1,028 in Medellin – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $968 in Catamarca versus $1,028 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 $968 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 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.