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: $1,227 in Cayo Coco versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Cayo Coco versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Cayo Coco versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 19% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 8% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 CUP 123

$6.00 COP 20.6K

-14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.97 CUP 359

$32.84 COP 112.5K

-54.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 CUP 170

$7.42 COP 25.4K

-4.45%

Cappuccino

$0.98 CUP 23.52

$1.65 COP 5,659

-40.61%

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

$1.98 CUP 47.48

$1.07 COP 3,663

85.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CUP 24.62

$0.76 COP 2,607

35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 CUP 48.54

$1.72 COP 5,908

17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 CUP 70.3

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-8.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 CUP 73.7

$1.05 COP 3,597

192.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 CUP 23.63

$1.31 COP 4,479

-25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 CUP 47.44

$1.34 COP 4,591

47.76%

Eggs

$3.54 CUP 85.0

$2.19 COP 7,521

61.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.12 CUP 147

$4.41 COP 15.1K

38.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 122

$5.69 COP 19.5K

-10.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 CUP 244

$8.52 COP 29.2K

19.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 CUP 116

$2.34 COP 8,023

107.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.47

$1.11 COP 3,804

-11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.30

$1.52 COP 5,210

-36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.57

$1.37 COP 4,680

-28.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$1.15 COP 3,950

-13.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CUP 73.8

$1.18 COP 4,043

160.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$0.84 COP 2,885

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.44

$0.86 COP 2,931

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$2.26 COP 7,753

35.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 CUP 236

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-15.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 CUP 46.58

$1.20 COP 4,109

61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.21

$2.48 COP 8,484

-20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.87 CUP 477

$40.83 COP 139.9K

-51.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 CUP 24.33

$1.47 COP 5,023

-31.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CUP 24.34

$1.92 COP 6,568

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.33 CUP 488

$7.77 COP 26.6K

161.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 CUP 23.71

$1.01 COP 3,464

-1.98%

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

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

$17.7K COP 60.5M

295.26%

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

$81.5K CUP 2.0M

$26.5K COP 90.7M

208.25%

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

$39.66 CUP 952

$81.1 COP 277.9K

-51.10%

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

$40.34 CUP 968

$9.43 COP 32.3K

327.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$222 CUP 5,340

$23.86 COP 81.8K

832.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.72 CUP 977

$25.99 COP 89.1K

56.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 CUP 244

$18.71 COP 64.1K

-45.75%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$4.09 COP 14.0K

-76.04%

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

$90.1 CUP 2,163

$315 COP 1.1M

-71.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CUP 354.7K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

145.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.80 CUP 979

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-31.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 CUP 715

$31.97 COP 109.6K

-6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 CUP 1,808

$101 COP 346.9K

-25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CUP 1,957

$105 COP 360.3K

-22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 CUP 9,675

$485 COP 1.7M

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 CUP 10.1K

$365 COP 1.3M

15.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 CUP 25.5K

$827 COP 2.8M

28.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 CUP 14.7K

$730 COP 2.5M

-16.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$300 CUP 7,197

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-89.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 CUP 8,503

$1,314 COP 4.5M

-73.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.96 CUP 479

$551 COP 1.9M

-96.38%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Cayo Coco and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2659% 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 $235 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 19% 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 2659% 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: $403 in Cayo Coco versus $485 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 105% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $90.1 in Cayo Coco versus $315 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,227 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 $1,028 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 19% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.