Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad del Este and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad del Este: $799 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad del Este
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Ciudad del Este Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ciudad del Este

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$799

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $799 per month in Ciudad del Este vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Ciudad del Este $799
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,500 per month in Ciudad del Este vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Ciudad del Este $1,500
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,201 per month in Ciudad del Este vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Ciudad del Este $2,201
Medellin $3,190

Ciudad del Este is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ciudad del Este sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 ₲34.6K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.70 ₲129.1K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-50.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 ₲33.4K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-38.21%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ₲13.1K

$3.11 COP 9,866

-25.72%

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

$0.99 ₲5,638

$1.83 COP 5,800

-45.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₲3,492

$1.38 COP 4,360

-55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₲5,838

$3.05 COP 9,672

-66.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₲9,914

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-68.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 ₲6,405

$1.45 COP 4,600

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ₲8,812

$2.36 COP 7,496

-34.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₲7,206

$1.68 COP 5,328

-24.40%

Eggs

$2.21 ₲12.6K

$2.86 COP 9,077

-22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 ₲52.0K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 ₲22.1K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 ₲47.5K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-40.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₲11.7K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-49.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₲7,249

$1.50 COP 4,742

-15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₲5,596

$2.17 COP 6,891

-54.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₲7,231

$2.31 COP 7,310

-45.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₲5,284

$1.93 COP 6,113

-51.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ₲5,368

$1.64 COP 5,196

-42.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ₲2,797

$1.13 COP 3,571

-56.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₲2,399

$1.25 COP 3,954

-66.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₲7,814

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-65.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.40 ₲30.7K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₲4,286

$1.70 COP 5,384

-55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₲9,881

$2.37 COP 7,525

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₲5,160

$1.21 COP 3,827

-24.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 ₲8,801

$1.32 COP 4,179

17.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₲8,923

$2.14 COP 6,774

-26.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.48 ₲59.6K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

23.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₲6,955

$1.30 COP 4,114

-6.15%

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

$17.5K ₲99.2M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-37.64%

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

$17.3K ₲98.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-51.22%

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

$51.9 ₲295.2K

$172 COP 545.6K

-69.84%

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

$17.90 ₲101.8K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

33.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.98 ₲107.9K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-33.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.72 ₲169.0K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-34.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.30 ₲81.3K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-16.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 ₲35.3K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-1.27%

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

$185 ₲1.1M

$770 COP 2.4M

-76.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,909 ₲10.9M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-78.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ₲364.6K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-25.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.87 ₲192.6K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-40.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 ₲566.4K

$137 COP 432.9K

-27.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.8 ₲323.2K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-41.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₲2.0M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-66.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₲1.5M

$616 COP 2.0M

-57.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₲4.2M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-60.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 ₲5.6M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-4.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,923 ₲10.9M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-52.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,420 ₲8.1M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-15.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ₲3.5M

$652 COP 2.1M

-6.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.15

10.94

-7.22%

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

Last update for Ciudad del Este: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ciudad del Este

$261 32.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 136% $355

Groceries & Markets

Ciudad del Este

$171 21.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 72.8% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Ciudad del Este

$115 14.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 48.6% $56

Eating Out

Ciudad del Este

$109 13.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 54.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ciudad del Este

$89 11.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 141% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Ciudad del Este

$42 5.3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 37.2% $16

Getting Around

Ciudad del Este

$13 * 1.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 617% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Ciudad del Este versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ciudad del Este versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $295 – making Ciudad del Este the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Ciudad del Este

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

11:17 11:17 AM

2 h behind Ciudad del Este

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

320,782

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ciudad del Este Medellin 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ciudad del Este
Medellin

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ciudad del Este vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,198 per month in Ciudad del Este and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad del Este, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ciudad del Este and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad del Este, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Ciudad del Este it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ciudad del Este – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ciudad del Este. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.