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: $1,245 in Cayo Coco versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Cayo Coco versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in Cayo Coco versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 26% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayo Coco is 9% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 CUP 118

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-38.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.29 CUP 367

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-68.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 CUP 165

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-30.64%

Cappuccino

$0.98 CUP 23.48

$3.13 COP 9,767

-68.69%

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

$2.05 CUP 49.25

$1.91 COP 5,954

7.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CUP 24.61

$1.51 COP 4,712

-31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CUP 47.52

$3.12 COP 9,747

-36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 CUP 74.1

$1.44 COP 4,509

114.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 CUP 23.49

$2.49 COP 7,759

-60.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.18

$1.77 COP 5,535

15.82%

Eggs

$3.62 CUP 86.8

$2.96 COP 9,235

22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 CUP 141

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-41.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 123

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-49.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 CUP 245

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-28.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 CUP 121

$4.14 COP 12.9K

21.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.67

$1.61 COP 5,019

-38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 CUP 24.70

$2.25 COP 7,007

-54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.66

$2.25 COP 7,028

-56.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$2.04 COP 6,375

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$1.54 COP 4,790

91.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.59

$1.17 COP 3,651

-12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CUP 24.28

$1.31 COP 4,077

-22.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 CUP 72.4

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-22.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 CUP 238

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-29.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CUP 48.68

$1.74 COP 5,439

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.11

$2.87 COP 8,956

-28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 CUP 480

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-75.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$1.31 COP 4,084

-25.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$2.19 COP 6,825

-55.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 CUP 472

$8.71 COP 27.2K

125.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.60

$1.37 COP 4,260

-28.47%

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

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

147.61%

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

$79.7K CUP 1.9M

$35.8K COP 111.6M

122.73%

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

$40.10 CUP 962

$177 COP 553.2K

-77.38%

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

$40.25 CUP 966

$13.88 COP 43.3K

189.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$224 CUP 5,371

$29.72 COP 92.8K

653.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 CUP 948

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-11.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.82 CUP 236

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-42.64%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.70

$6.65 COP 20.7K

-85.11%

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

$90.0 CUP 2,160

$813 COP 2.5M

-88.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CUP 356.4K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

61.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.53 CUP 973

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-54.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 CUP 717

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-49.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 CUP 1,764

$138 COP 431.2K

-46.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 CUP 1,929

$102 COP 318.7K

-21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 CUP 9,451

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-62.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 CUP 10.0K

$663 COP 2.1M

-37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 CUP 25.2K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-44.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 CUP 15.2K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-38.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$305 CUP 7,310

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-92.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,547

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-78.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.79 CUP 475

$678 COP 2.1M

-97.08%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Cayo Coco and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3325% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $305 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

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 35% 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 3325% 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: $394 in Cayo Coco versus $1,062 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 303% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $90.0 in Cayo Coco versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,245 in Cayo Coco versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,245 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.