Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cachoeirinha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cachoeirinha

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $843 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,328 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,813 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

Medellin costs about 99% more than Cachoeirinha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Cachoeirinha is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$4.48 R$23.04

79.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$19.07 R$98.1

151.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$4.16 R$21.37

137.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.02 R$10.41

54.95%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.61 R$3.12

213.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.46 R$2.35

228.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.72 R$8.86

81.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.96 R$15.20

94.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.02 R$5.26

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.65 R$8.50

50.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.12 R$5.75

58.04%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.53 R$12.99

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.31 R$53.0

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.70 R$24.17

115.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$9.53 R$48.98

50.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.42 R$12.43

71.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.41 R$7.26

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.36 R$7.01

65.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.62 R$8.33

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.17 R$6.01

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.10 R$5.64

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.83 R$4.25

40.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.79 R$4.06

65.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.46 R$12.63

58.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$7.69 R$39.53

82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.10 R$5.65

58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.17 R$11.14

32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.98 R$5.02

24.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$41.29 R$212

94.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.24 R$6.36

5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.79 R$4.09

177.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$8.09 R$41.61

7.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.29 R$6.63

6.20%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$23.4K R$120.5K

18.78%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$32.6K R$167.9K

9.57%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$71.8 R$369

147.11%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$12.15 R$62.5

14.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$21.63 R$111

37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$25.00 R$129

79.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$25.42 R$131

-32.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$7.02 R$36.10

-5.27%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$297 R$1,525

174.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$7,197 R$37.0K

27.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$50.5 R$260

77.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$56.4 R$290

4.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$101 R$522

36.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$77.2 R$397

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$318 R$1,635

234.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$251 R$1,291

164.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$664 R$3,414

184.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$404 R$2,076

154.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,453 R$7,472

187.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,146 R$5,894

46.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$616 R$3,169

9.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cachoeirinha: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $318 in Cachoeirinha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Cachoeirinha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $202 – making Cachoeirinha 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 Cachoeirinha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $843 in Cachoeirinha – roughly 99% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,265 in Cachoeirinha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $297 in Cachoeirinha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% 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 Cachoeirinha, where all-in costs run around $843, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Cachoeirinha 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 $843 in Cachoeirinha to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cachoeirinha. 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.