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: $1,205 in Cayo Coco versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,658 in Cayo Coco versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,110 in Cayo Coco versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 20% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 9% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 CUP 116

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-17.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 CUP 353

$32.96 COP 103.8K

-55.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 CUP 170

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-4.85%

Cappuccino

$1.02 CUP 24.39

$1.65 COP 5,207

-38.18%

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

$2.05 CUP 49.17

$1.10 COP 3,468

86.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.67

$0.78 COP 2,458

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 CUP 48.78

$1.72 COP 5,412

18.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-7.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 CUP 72.3

$1.10 COP 3,474

173.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 CUP 23.30

$1.26 COP 3,962

-23.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.32

$1.38 COP 4,349

45.65%

Eggs

$3.50 CUP 83.9

$2.18 COP 6,858

60.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 CUP 145

$4.49 COP 14.1K

34.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 CUP 117

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 CUP 244

$8.97 COP 28.2K

13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 122

$2.32 COP 7,308

119.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.46

$1.06 COP 3,352

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.31

$1.52 COP 4,774

-36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.38

$1.36 COP 4,270

-28.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$1.13 COP 3,552

-14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CUP 71.5

$1.17 COP 3,689

154.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.59

$0.90 COP 2,838

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 CUP 24.64

$0.90 COP 2,823

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 CUP 69.9

$2.23 COP 7,034

30.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.97 CUP 239

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.80

$1.19 COP 3,743

63.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.16

$2.48 COP 7,815

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 CUP 474

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$1.42 COP 4,459

-27.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$1.95 COP 6,141

-47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 CUP 481

$7.89 COP 24.8K

153.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 CUP 23.32

$0.99 COP 3,118

-2.02%

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

$70.6K CUP 1.7M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

301.17%

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

$81.1K CUP 1.9M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

202.49%

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

$40.57 CUP 974

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-51.13%

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

$40.77 CUP 978

$9.70 COP 30.5K

320.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$219 CUP 5,267

$23.52 COP 74.1K

833.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 CUP 959

$25.26 COP 79.5K

58.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.89 CUP 237

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-48.22%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.54

$3.95 COP 12.4K

-75.19%

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

$91.1 CUP 2,187

$316 COP 994.2K

-71.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CUP 357.8K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

149.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.55 CUP 949

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-34.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CUP 731

$31.82 COP 100.2K

-4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 CUP 1,799

$102 COP 320.1K

-26.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CUP 1,956

$107 COP 338.3K

-24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 CUP 9,437

$475 COP 1.5M

-17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 CUP 10.3K

$374 COP 1.2M

15.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 CUP 25.2K

$849 COP 2.7M

23.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 CUP 14.8K

$719 COP 2.3M

-14.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$304 CUP 7,297

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-90.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$348 CUP 8,351

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-75.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$20.02 CUP 481

$624 COP 2.0M

-96.79%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Cayo Coco and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3019% 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 $193, 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 20% 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, salaries run 3019% lower in Medellin. 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: $393 in Cayo Coco versus $475 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 111% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $91.1 in Cayo Coco versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,205 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 $1,003 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 20% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.