Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,234 in Guatemala City versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,935 in Guatemala City versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,637 in Guatemala City versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 22% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 8% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 Q 40.67

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-10.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 Q 376

$32.86 COP 117.2K

50.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 Q 49.52

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-8.32%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 25.95

$1.71 COP 6,105

99.42%

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

$1.17 Q 8.89

$1.10 COP 3,918

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 Q 7.33

$0.78 COP 2,776

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 Q 25.57

$1.68 COP 5,987

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 Q 34.23

$3.07 COP 10.9K

46.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 Q 15.86

$1.09 COP 3,899

90.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 Q 23.88

$1.26 COP 4,500

148.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 Q 16.11

$1.38 COP 4,914

52.90%

Eggs

$2.56 Q 19.53

$2.19 COP 7,813

16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 Q 60.4

$4.40 COP 15.7K

80.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 Q 65.9

$5.63 COP 20.1K

53.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 Q 88.6

$8.89 COP 31.7K

30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 Q 27.99

$2.34 COP 8,334

56.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.60

$1.06 COP 3,771

43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 Q 22.92

$1.50 COP 5,365

100.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.39

$1.38 COP 4,915

27.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 Q 13.03

$1.15 COP 4,104

48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Q 17.27

$1.16 COP 4,148

95.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.62

$0.89 COP 3,176

-16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Q 9.41

$0.84 COP 2,992

47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 Q 27.62

$2.28 COP 8,131

59.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 Q 61.9

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.13

$1.20 COP 4,276

32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 Q 18.94

$2.47 COP 8,809

0.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Q 9.81

$0.86 COP 3,051

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.64 Q 104

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-67.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 Q 40.37

$1.47 COP 5,255

260.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 Q 4.51

$1.96 COP 6,997

-69.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 Q 118

$7.74 COP 27.6K

100.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.19

$0.95 COP 3,403

13.68%

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

$19.7K Q 150.4K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

8.92%

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

$24.6K Q 187.5K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-7.07%

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

$81.7 Q 622

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-0.67%

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

$26.82 Q 204

$9.50 COP 33.9K

182.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.40 Q 376

$24.23 COP 86.4K

103.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 Q 375

$25.89 COP 92.3K

89.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 Q 188

$19.00 COP 67.7K

29.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 Q 56.1

$3.93 COP 14.0K

87.53%

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

$247 Q 1,884

$309 COP 1.1M

-20.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,695 Q 43.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-4.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 Q 387

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 408

$32.35 COP 115.3K

65.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Q 881

$103 COP 365.7K

12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 Q 931

$108 COP 386.5K

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 Q 5,451

$476 COP 1.7M

50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,269

$379 COP 1.4M

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 Q 10.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

64.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 Q 5,866

$724 COP 2.6M

6.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,024 Q 15.4K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-27.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,096 Q 8,349

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-9.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 Q 6,531

$512 COP 1.8M

67.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

13.43

-33.73%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Guatemala City and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 68% 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: $49.00 in Guatemala City vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Guatemala City pays 68% more on average, 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: $716 in Guatemala City versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $49.00 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,234 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,234 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. 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 $1,013 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 22% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.