Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Cayo Coco versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,705 in Cayo Coco versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Cayo Coco versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 21% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 6% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 CUP 116

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-18.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.79 CUP 355

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-54.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.88 CUP 165

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-4.44%

Cappuccino

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$1.70 COP 6,186

-41.76%

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

$1.96 CUP 46.97

$1.10 COP 3,996

78.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.66

$0.72 COP 2,625

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 CUP 48.77

$1.67 COP 6,067

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 CUP 73.1

$1.06 COP 3,837

187.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$1.25 COP 4,531

-17.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.31

$1.39 COP 5,060

47.48%

Eggs

$3.57 CUP 85.7

$2.26 COP 8,229

57.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 CUP 148

$4.33 COP 15.8K

42.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 CUP 118

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 CUP 237

$8.83 COP 32.1K

11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 CUP 120

$2.24 COP 8,159

122.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.31

$1.08 COP 3,911

-10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$1.53 COP 5,563

-35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.35

$1.37 COP 4,987

-26.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.37

$1.13 COP 4,109

-9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CUP 72.5

$1.12 COP 4,067

169.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 CUP 23.37

$0.85 COP 3,080

14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 CUP 23.32

$0.91 COP 3,305

6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 CUP 70.2

$2.33 COP 8,477

25.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 CUP 242

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.77

$1.19 COP 4,342

63.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.22

$2.37 COP 8,617

-13.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.77 CUP 474

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-51.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 CUP 24.36

$1.44 COP 5,223

-29.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.38

$1.91 COP 6,952

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.66 CUP 472

$8.02 COP 29.2K

145.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$0.94 COP 3,410

4.26%

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

$70.1K CUP 1.7M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

291.03%

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

$80.8K CUP 1.9M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

201.54%

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

$40.48 CUP 972

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-51.79%

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

$40.55 CUP 973

$9.60 COP 34.9K

322.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$219 CUP 5,256

$24.16 COP 87.9K

806.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 CUP 969

$25.88 COP 94.1K

56.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 CUP 242

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-47.11%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$3.92 COP 14.2K

-73.98%

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

$91.5 CUP 2,196

$306 COP 1.1M

-70.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K CUP 366.0K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

157.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.50 CUP 948

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-31.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.22 CUP 725

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-5.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 CUP 1,789

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 CUP 1,939

$107 COP 389.7K

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 CUP 9,499

$487 COP 1.8M

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 CUP 10.2K

$368 COP 1.3M

15.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 CUP 25.1K

$826 COP 3.0M

26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 CUP 14.8K

$716 COP 2.6M

-13.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$296 CUP 7,114

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-89.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 CUP 8,454

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-74.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$20.16 CUP 484

$546 COP 2.0M

-96.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-25.54%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Cayo Coco and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2606% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cayo Coco vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 2606% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $396 in Cayo Coco versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 108% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $91.5 in Cayo Coco versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,253 in Cayo Coco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.