Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Encarnacion and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $830 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Encarnacion
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Encarnacion Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Encarnacion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$830

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $830 in Encarnacion versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Encarnacion $830
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,285 in Encarnacion versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Encarnacion $1,285
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,739 in Encarnacion versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Encarnacion $1,739
Medellin $3,186

Living in Encarnacion costs roughly 49% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Encarnacion is 39% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ₲26.4K

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-45.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.62 ₲206.5K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-26.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 ₲42.3K

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-25.37%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₲15.4K

$3.01 COP 9,735

-13.95%

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

$1.49 ₲8,876

$1.80 COP 5,809

-17.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₲3,240

$1.41 COP 4,561

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ₲5,746

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-69.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₲12.6K

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-63.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₲6,540

$1.51 COP 4,876

-27.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₲5,511

$2.38 COP 7,678

-61.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 ₲10.4K

$1.77 COP 5,720

-1.13%

Eggs

$1.56 ₲9,315

$2.89 COP 9,333

-46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.17 ₲30.8K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-49.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ₲19.6K

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-66.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.62 ₲33.5K

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-59.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₲12.8K

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-45.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ₲5,053

$1.55 COP 5,012

-45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 ₲5,123

$2.18 COP 7,048

-60.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₲9,992

$2.18 COP 7,051

-22.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₲5,321

$1.96 COP 6,337

-54.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ₲5,224

$1.59 COP 5,132

-44.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ₲3,325

$1.15 COP 3,699

-51.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₲3,117

$1.24 COP 4,014

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.46 ₲8,722

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-63.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 ₲33.5K

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-58.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₲5,072

$1.66 COP 5,359

-48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₲9,193

$2.26 COP 7,291

-31.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ₲5,028

$1.17 COP 3,771

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.00 ₲208.8K

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-54.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₲7,680

$1.27 COP 4,094

1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₲4,292

$2.05 COP 6,612

-64.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ₲40.2K

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₲7,105

$1.35 COP 4,349

-11.85%

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

$13.8K ₲82.6M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-59.36%

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

$25.8K ₲154.2M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-25.44%

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

$43.84 ₲261.5K

$170 COP 547.8K

-74.16%

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

$13.41 ₲80.0K

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 ₲112.1K

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.45 ₲181.6K

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-30.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.14 ₲78.4K

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-23.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ₲36.2K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-12.01%

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

$201 ₲1.2M

$797 COP 2.6M

-74.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,299 ₲19.7M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-63.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₲338.3K

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.01 ₲167.1K

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-51.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 ₲412.2K

$135 COP 435.8K

-48.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ₲418.8K

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₲3.0M

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₲1.9M

$642 COP 2.1M

-49.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 ₲4.1M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-66.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₲3.2M

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-47.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,583 ₲9.4M

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-62.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,409 ₲8.4M

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-26.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$367 ₲2.2M

$657 COP 2.1M

-44.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

10.94

-13.16%

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

Last update for Encarnacion: 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

Encarnacion

$321 38.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 99.6% $320

Groceries & Markets

Encarnacion

$141 17%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 110% $156

Eating Out

Encarnacion

$105 12.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 61.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Encarnacion

$101 12.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 67.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Encarnacion

$76 9.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 178% $135

Getting Around

Encarnacion

$43 5.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 116% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Encarnacion

$43 5.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 35% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Encarnacion and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 79% 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: $35 in Encarnacion vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $297 per month, with Encarnacion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Encarnacion

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

2 h behind Encarnacion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,600

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,656 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Encarnacion Medellin 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Encarnacion
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

Encarnacion vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $830 in Encarnacion and $1,639 in Medellin, so Encarnacion is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Encarnacion. 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: $508 in Encarnacion versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $830 per month in Encarnacion versus $1,639 in Medellin – Encarnacion is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Encarnacion runs roughly 55% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $830 in Encarnacion versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Encarnacion but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Encarnacion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Encarnacion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.