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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $938 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,614 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,289 in Arouca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 10% more expensive than in Arouca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Arouca 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$10.19 TTD 68.5

-39.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$89.3 TTD 600

-63.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$7.19 TTD 48.35

2.09%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.64 TTD 24.49

-52.75%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.09 TTD 7.34

-3.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.82 TTD 5.49

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.82 TTD 12.27

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.17 TTD 21.29

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.68 TTD 18.02

-60.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$2.74 TTD 18.42

-52.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.63 TTD 17.66

-46.77%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$4.95 TTD 33.28

-56.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.10 TTD 54.5

-45.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$10.57 TTD 71.1

-44.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$14.19 TTD 95.4

-39.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$5.72 TTD 38.45

-60.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.57 TTD 17.29

-56.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$4.32 TTD 29.07

-64.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$4.87 TTD 32.72

-72.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.44 TTD 9.71

-21.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.66 TTD 11.19

-31.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.90 TTD 12.79

-55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.40 TTD 9.42

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$5.80 TTD 39.04

-59.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$19.17 TTD 129

-35.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.22 TTD 14.92

-45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.85 TTD 19.19

-12.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.04 TTD 7.00

36.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.23 TTD 8.26

56.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$15.06 TTD 101

-49.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.10 TTD 7.43

-10.00%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$33.8K TTD 227.0K

-46.59%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$39.1K TTD 262.7K

-31.82%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$79.4 TTD 534

1.79%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$46.34 TTD 312

-78.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$61.2 TTD 411

-60.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$9.99 TTD 67.2

-60.16%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$326 TTD 2,194

-6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$7,079 TTD 47.6K

-14.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$59.3 TTD 399

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$38.67 TTD 260

-16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$144 TTD 965

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$126 TTD 848

-14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.38

149.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arouca: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $89.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $377 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $938 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,407 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 $305 in Medellin versus $326 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 $89.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Arouca versus $1,031 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 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.