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: $1,353 in Guatemala City versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,024 in Guatemala City versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,696 in Guatemala City versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 21% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guatemala City is 2% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.99 Q 53.3

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.28 Q 376

$48.26 COP 151.7K

2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 Q 58.6

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-21.39%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 26.04

$2.91 COP 9,149

17.18%

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

$1.12 Q 8.52

$1.94 COP 6,110

-42.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 Q 6.78

$1.52 COP 4,783

-41.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 Q 24.50

$3.09 COP 9,721

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 Q 36.59

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 Q 15.93

$1.36 COP 4,287

53.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 Q 22.06

$2.39 COP 7,505

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 Q 15.47

$1.70 COP 5,346

19.41%

Eggs

$2.47 Q 18.81

$2.87 COP 9,021

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 Q 49.52

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 Q 71.1

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 Q 102

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 Q 29.02

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.15

$1.57 COP 4,940

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 Q 22.17

$2.13 COP 6,682

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.56

$2.21 COP 6,959

-25.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Q 11.31

$2.05 COP 6,435

-27.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 Q 16.57

$1.50 COP 4,728

44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.24

$1.19 COP 3,740

-42.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.21

$1.16 COP 3,640

4.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.58

$3.90 COP 12.2K

2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-44.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 Q 13.76

$1.58 COP 4,978

13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.68

$2.83 COP 8,889

-8.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.77

$1.17 COP 3,672

9.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.99 Q 107

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-82.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 Q 39.51

$1.28 COP 4,038

304.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.43 Q 79.6

$8.62 COP 27.1K

21.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 Q 9.80

$1.30 COP 4,080

-1.54%

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

$27.9K Q 212.9K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

0.93%

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

$25.7K Q 196.3K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-27.55%

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

$76.4 Q 583

$176 COP 553.4K

-56.59%

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

$29.08 Q 222

$13.37 COP 42.0K

117.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.55 Q 347

$29.89 COP 94.0K

52.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.86 Q 304

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-10.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 Q 99.8

$17.06 COP 53.6K

-23.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 Q 48.68

$6.20 COP 19.5K

2.90%

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

$344 Q 2,621

$793 COP 2.5M

-56.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,719 Q 51.3K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-25.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.73 Q 364

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-44.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 Q 365

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Q 822

$136 COP 428.4K

-20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 850

$103 COP 324.1K

8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,316

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 Q 4,163

$680 COP 2.1M

-19.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 Q 11.9K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 Q 6,249

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-29.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,043 Q 15.6K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-50.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 Q 8,416

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-35.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$843 Q 6,427

$665 COP 2.1M

26.65%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Guatemala City and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Guatemala City vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $303, with Guatemala City cheaper for home cooking.

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 27% 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 27% 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 $1,060 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 $49.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,353 in Guatemala City versus $1,716 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 $1,353 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 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.