Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aguada

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguada: $1,181 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Aguada

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Aguada

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Aguada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,181 in Aguada.

Medellin $1,639
Aguada $1,181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,227 in Aguada.

Medellin $2,413
Aguada $1,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,274 in Aguada.

Medellin $3,186
Aguada $1,274

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Aguada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Aguada is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.12 $11.12

-27.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$12.20 $12.20

-22.13%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.04 $2.04

47.55%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.04 $2.04

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.03 $1.03

36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.47 $1.47

116.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.97 $2.97

93.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.78 $1.78

-15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.52 $2.52

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$4.43 $4.43

-34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.84 $0.84

60.71%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$260 $260

-34.77%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$60.0 $60.0

-77.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$54.0 $54.0

-19.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.12 $6.12

12.91%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$500 $500

59.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$35.43 $35.43

139.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$40.32 $40.32

43.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$80.0 $80.0

68.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$100 $100

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$506 $506

138.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$443 $443

44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,191 $2,191

-70.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aguada: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Aguada

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Aguada

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Aguada

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Aguada

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Aguada

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Aguada

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Aguada

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $506 in Aguada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguada pays about 3.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇷 Aguada

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

00:12 12:12 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

41,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Aguada 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Aguada

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

Medellin vs Aguada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,181 in Aguada, so Aguada is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $506 in Aguada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $500 in Aguada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,181 in Aguada – Aguada is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Aguada gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.