Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,346 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,346

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,346 in Guatemala City versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Guatemala City $1,346
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,023 in Guatemala City versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Guatemala City $2,023
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Guatemala City versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Guatemala City $2,701
Medellin $3,190

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 17% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guatemala City 0% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 Q 52.2

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 Q 385

$46.13 COP 146.3K

9.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 Q 59.9

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-17.58%

Cappuccino

$3.43 Q 26.24

$3.11 COP 9,866

10.29%

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

$1.15 Q 8.79

$1.83 COP 5,800

-37.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.48

$1.38 COP 4,360

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.28

$3.05 COP 9,672

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 Q 35.76

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-14.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 Q 15.52

$1.45 COP 4,600

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 Q 23.06

$2.36 COP 7,496

27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 Q 16.00

$1.68 COP 5,328

24.40%

Eggs

$2.50 Q 19.09

$2.86 COP 9,077

-12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 Q 48.71

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-37.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 Q 70.0

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 Q 100.0

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-6.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.46

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.19

$1.50 COP 4,742

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.97

$2.17 COP 6,891

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.56

$2.31 COP 7,310

-29.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Q 11.21

$1.93 COP 6,113

-23.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 Q 16.47

$1.64 COP 5,196

31.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 Q 5.23

$1.13 COP 3,571

-39.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.14

$1.25 COP 3,954

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 Q 31.83

$3.99 COP 12.6K

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 61.0

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Q 13.32

$1.70 COP 5,384

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 Q 20.45

$2.37 COP 7,525

12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.79

$1.21 COP 3,827

5.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.30 Q 109

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-81.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 Q 39.07

$1.32 COP 4,179

287.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 Q 78.6

$8.47 COP 26.8K

21.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 Q 10.64

$1.30 COP 4,114

6.92%

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

$27.8K Q 212.7K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-0.60%

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

$25.5K Q 194.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-28.01%

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

$71.7 Q 548

$172 COP 545.6K

-58.34%

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

$29.01 Q 222

$13.37 COP 42.4K

116.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.39 Q 355

$28.73 COP 91.1K

61.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 Q 305

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.94 Q 99.0

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-24.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 Q 49.85

$6.28 COP 19.9K

3.82%

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

$336 Q 2,565

$770 COP 2.4M

-56.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,630 Q 50.7K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-26.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.45 Q 378

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-42.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 Q 366

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 913

$137 COP 432.9K

-12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Q 875

$97.9 COP 310.4K

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,329

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 Q 4,130

$616 COP 2.0M

-12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 Q 11.6K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 Q 6,273

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-19.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 Q 15.4K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-50.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Q 8,196

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-36.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 Q 6,602

$652 COP 2.1M

32.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

10.94

6.22%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: 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

Guatemala City

$540 40.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 14% $76

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$279 20.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 5.7% $16

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$153 11.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 10% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$149 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 14.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 45.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$53 3.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 9.3% $4.9

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 280% $69

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 $828 in Guatemala City and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Guatemala City vs $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $295, with Guatemala City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

1 h ahead of Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 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 GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Guatemala City Medellin 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
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

Guatemala City vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Guatemala City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $828 in Guatemala City versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,346 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,346 in Guatemala City versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,346 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.