Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,224 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
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Cayo Coco Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,224

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Cayo Coco versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Cayo Coco $1,224
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,689 in Cayo Coco versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Cayo Coco $1,689
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,155 in Cayo Coco versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Cayo Coco $2,155
Medellin $3,186

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 25% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayo Coco is 10% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 CUP 123

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-36.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.92 CUP 358

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-68.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 CUP 166

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-27.37%

Cappuccino

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$3.01 COP 9,735

-67.77%

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

$2.05 CUP 49.24

$1.80 COP 5,809

13.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.61

$1.41 COP 4,561

-30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 CUP 46.63

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 CUP 72.9

$1.51 COP 4,876

101.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 CUP 23.72

$2.38 COP 7,678

-58.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 CUP 47.29

$1.77 COP 5,720

11.30%

Eggs

$3.69 CUP 88.6

$2.89 COP 9,333

27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 CUP 141

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 CUP 121

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-48.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 CUP 235

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-29.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 CUP 122

$3.97 COP 12.8K

27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.25

$1.55 COP 5,012

-34.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.48

$2.18 COP 7,048

-53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.73

$2.18 COP 7,051

-54.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.58

$1.96 COP 6,337

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CUP 74.2

$1.59 COP 5,132

94.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.30

$1.15 COP 3,699

-12.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.64

$1.24 COP 4,014

-20.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-25.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 CUP 241

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-26.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 46.99

$1.66 COP 5,359

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 47.01

$2.26 COP 7,291

-13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.39 CUP 489

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-73.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 CUP 23.33

$1.27 COP 4,094

-23.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.48

$2.05 COP 6,612

-50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 CUP 485

$8.55 COP 27.6K

136.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$1.35 COP 4,349

-27.41%

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

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

109.42%

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

$80.8K CUP 1.9M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

132.98%

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

$39.92 CUP 958

$170 COP 547.8K

-76.47%

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

$40.23 CUP 966

$13.55 COP 43.8K

196.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$221 CUP 5,307

$28.07 COP 90.6K

687.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.44 CUP 971

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.03 CUP 241

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-41.65%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.71

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-85.67%

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

$89.0 CUP 2,136

$797 COP 2.6M

-88.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K CUP 362.8K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

65.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.38 CUP 969

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-52.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.55 CUP 709

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 CUP 1,773

$135 COP 435.8K

-45.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 CUP 1,950

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 CUP 9,699

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-66.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 CUP 10.0K

$642 COP 2.1M

-34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 CUP 24.7K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-49.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 CUP 14.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-38.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$300 CUP 7,202

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-92.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 CUP 8,487

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-81.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.60 CUP 471

$657 COP 2.1M

-97.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.59%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cayo Coco

$417 34.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 53.8% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayo Coco

$301 24.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 29.9% $90

Groceries & Markets

Cayo Coco

$234 19.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 26.7% $63

Eating Out

Cayo Coco

$101 8.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 67.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Cayo Coco

$101 8.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 66.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Cayo Coco

$42 3.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 35.6% $15

Getting Around

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 254% $67

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 $404 in Cayo Coco and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 34 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Cayo Coco vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $297 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

Same time as Cayo Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.8 CUP (100 CUP = 3.73 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cayo Coco Medellin 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cayo Coco
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Cayo Coco. 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: $404 in Cayo Coco versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 74% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $89 in Cayo Coco versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cayo Coco is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.