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: $1,161 in Catamarca versus $1,687 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,905 in Catamarca versus $2,535 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,649 in Catamarca versus $3,383 in Medellin.

Living in Catamarca costs roughly 31% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Catamarca is 15% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 ARS 22.6K

$7.89 COP 24.2K

91.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.49 ARS 66.6K

$44.53 COP 136.5K

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 ARS 20.4K

$9.29 COP 28.5K

46.39%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ARS 5,008

$2.90 COP 8,874

15.52%

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

$1.98 ARS 2,970

$1.81 COP 5,541

9.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,574

$1.55 COP 4,741

10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 ARS 5,654

$3.25 COP 9,962

16.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 ARS 5,870

$5.88 COP 18.0K

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ARS 1,806

$1.38 COP 4,230

-12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 ARS 3,230

$2.45 COP 7,517

-11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ARS 1,982

$1.51 COP 4,617

-12.58%

Eggs

$2.74 ARS 4,101

$2.78 COP 8,516

-1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ARS 15.8K

$9.05 COP 27.7K

16.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 ARS 10.9K

$10.65 COP 32.6K

-31.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 ARS 15.2K

$14.63 COP 44.8K

-30.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ARS 3,237

$3.97 COP 12.2K

-45.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,258

$1.38 COP 4,219

57.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ARS 2,034

$2.30 COP 7,056

-40.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ARS 3,768

$2.02 COP 6,185

24.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ARS 1,435

$2.09 COP 6,390

-54.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ARS 1,181

$1.63 COP 4,996

-51.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ARS 2,365

$1.08 COP 3,313

46.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ARS 2,297

$1.25 COP 3,843

22.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 ARS 5,449

$4.03 COP 12.4K

-9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.26 ARS 6,373

$13.47 COP 41.3K

-68.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ARS 2,807

$1.60 COP 4,904

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ARS 4,940

$3.00 COP 9,189

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ARS 1,316

$1.18 COP 3,611

-25.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 ARS 2,487

$1.61 COP 4,920

3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ARS 1,576

$2.13 COP 6,533

-50.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 ARS 11.2K

$8.52 COP 26.1K

-12.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,864

$1.35 COP 4,142

-7.41%

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

$28.9K ARS 43.2M

$28.3K COP 86.8M

2.00%

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

$31.8K ARS 47.6M

$35.7K COP 109.4M

-10.96%

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

$73.3 ARS 109.8K

$151 COP 463.8K

-51.56%

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

$15.43 ARS 23.1K

$13.10 COP 40.1K

17.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 ARS 33.0K

$32.30 COP 99.0K

-31.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 ARS 44.0K

$46.33 COP 141.9K

-36.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ARS 12.1K

$6.43 COP 19.7K

25.19%

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

$265 ARS 396.0K

$835 COP 2.6M

-68.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,034 ARS 6.0M

$8,887 COP 27.2M

-54.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 ARS 149.9K

$89.3 COP 273.7K

12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 ARS 88.9K

$55.3 COP 169.5K

7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 173.5K

$137 COP 418.5K

-15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ARS 190.5K

$109 COP 335.1K

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ARS 672.8K

$952 COP 2.9M

-52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ARS 531.8K

$668 COP 2.0M

-46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 ARS 1.3M

$2,020 COP 6.2M

-57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 ARS 1.1M

$1,148 COP 3.5M

-37.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,823 ARS 2.7M

$3,696 COP 11.3M

-50.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ARS 2.2M

$1,586 COP 4.9M

-8.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

54.72

10.43

424.64%

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

Last update for Catamarca: August 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Catamarca and $952 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Catamarca vs $45.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $297 per month, with Catamarca 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

Catamarca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 45% 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 $1,742 in Catamarca and $2,530 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: $449 in Catamarca versus $952 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,161 per month in Catamarca versus $1,687 in Medellin – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,161 in Catamarca versus $1,687 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 $1,161 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 45% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.