Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Antiguo Cuscatlan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Antiguo Cuscatlan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $817 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,306 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,795 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 101% more than Antiguo Cuscatlan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Antiguo Cuscatlan is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.95 $6.95

15.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$44.13 $44.13

9.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.92 $6.92

36.13%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.55 $3.55

-17.18%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.11 $1.11

67.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.87 $0.87

67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.05 $2.05

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.59 $3.59

59.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.87 $1.87

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.92 $2.92

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.44 $1.44

18.06%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.05 $3.05

-5.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.58 $7.58

32.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.15 $7.15

39.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.10 $10.10

40.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$5.10 $5.10

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.93 $2.93

-26.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.43 $3.43

-32.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.95 $2.95

-32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.26 $3.26

-53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.02 $1.02

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.97 $0.97

31.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.93 $3.93

-2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.12 $12.12

15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.26 $2.26

-24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.99 $2.99

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$6.05 $6.05

-78.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.05 $3.05

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$20.06 $20.06

-58.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.16 $1.16

17.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$25.4K $25.4K

8.17%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.5K $27.5K

33.04%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$129 $129

30.42%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$21.65 $21.65

-37.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$43.02 $43.02

-34.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.11 $5.11

30.14%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$164 $164

389.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,719 $4,719

94.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$67.2 $67.2

29.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$46.58 $46.58

27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$117 $117

18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$119 $119

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$589 $589

81.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.5

28.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Antiguo Cuscatlan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $589 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $44.00 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $290 – making Antiguo Cuscatlan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Antiguo Cuscatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $817 in Antiguo Cuscatlan – roughly 101% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,226 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $44.00 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Antiguo Cuscatlan, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Antiguo Cuscatlan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Antiguo Cuscatlan to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Antiguo Cuscatlan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.