Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arouca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arouca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $775 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,317 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,859 in Arouca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 121% more expensive than in Arouca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Arouca is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$10.14 TTD 67.5

-20.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$60.0 TTD 399

-19.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$8.06 TTD 53.6

21.22%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.79 TTD 25.23

-23.22%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.99 TTD 6.59

95.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.73 TTD 4.84

108.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.87 TTD 12.46

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.52 TTD 16.78

127.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.99 TTD 13.26

-31.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$2.35 TTD 15.61

1.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.82 TTD 18.79

-39.72%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$3.74 TTD 24.87

-23.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$6.59 TTD 43.88

50.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$10.01 TTD 66.6

7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.07 TTD 60.4

62.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$5.40 TTD 35.94

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.54 TTD 16.91

-38.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$3.65 TTD 24.26

-41.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$4.39 TTD 29.23

-49.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.71 TTD 4.71

188.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.73 TTD 4.84

105.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.43 TTD 9.55

-16.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.21 TTD 8.04

-4.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.54 TTD 36.83

-29.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$17.82 TTD 119

-18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.48 TTD 9.83

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$3.09 TTD 20.55

-8.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$0.91 TTD 6.09

40.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.89 TTD 5.94

134.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$14.87 TTD 99.0

-42.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.17 TTD 7.77

11.11%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$37.5K TTD 249.6K

-26.27%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$40.4K TTD 269.1K

-12.19%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$43.83 TTD 292

301.71%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$42.70 TTD 284

-68.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$44.62 TTD 297

-33.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$8.98 TTD 59.7

-30.96%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$400 TTD 2,661

98.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$10.3K TTD 68.3K

-12.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$54.3 TTD 361

57.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$37.15 TTD 247

57.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$87.2 TTD 580

56.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$88.6 TTD 590

16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.75

90.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Arouca: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $60.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $318 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 Arouca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Arouca differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $775 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,162 in Arouca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $400 in Arouca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $775 in Arouca versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca 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.

Expats usually find Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.