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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 20% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Antigua Guatemala 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.19 Q 39.52

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$53.3 Q 406

-38.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.35 Q 48.39

15.59%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.42 Q 26.03

-49.71%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.19 Q 9.07

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.97 Q 7.38

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$3.92 Q 29.88

-56.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$4.69 Q 35.70

-32.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.91 Q 14.53

-45.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$3.18 Q 24.19

-59.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.59 Q 12.09

-11.95%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.53 Q 19.30

-14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.46 Q 56.9

-41.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$8.45 Q 64.4

-30.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.18 Q 77.6

-15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$3.65 Q 27.80

-37.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.52 Q 11.55

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.15 Q 24.01

-51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.59 Q 12.11

-15.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.75 Q 13.33

-35.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.77 Q 13.47

-36.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.73 Q 5.58

16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.20 Q 9.14

-24.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.56 Q 27.13

-34.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.07 Q 61.5

53.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.67 Q 12.76

-28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.51 Q 19.15

-0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$2.05 Q 15.60

-59.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$4.71 Q 35.91

-69.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$15.77 Q 120

-51.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.11 Q 8.48

-10.81%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.4K Q 148.0K

-7.20%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$22.5K Q 171.4K

18.33%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$49.84 Q 380

62.14%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$26.09 Q 199

-61.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$49.09 Q 374

-50.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$40.22 Q 306

-37.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$27.79 Q 212

-31.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.24 Q 55.2

-45.03%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$249 Q 1,893

22.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,856 Q 44.6K

3.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$47.36 Q 361

22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$54.0 Q 411

-40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$100 Q 763

0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$85.9 Q 655

25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$880 Q 6,701

-45.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$551 Q 4,197

-31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$2,034 Q 15.5K

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,260 Q 9,602

-42.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,046 Q 23.2K

5.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,205 Q 9,184

13.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$544 Q 4,142

13.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.5

58.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $266 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

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

Medellin and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $1,281 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Medellin, 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: $477 in Medellin versus $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $249 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Antigua Guatemala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.