Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cadca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cadca

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $1,393 in Cadca, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,999 in Cadca, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $2,605 in Cadca, rent included.

Medellin is about 27% cheaper than Cadca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 24% below the global median, while Cadca is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$9.10 €8.00

-34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.6K

$28.99 €25.48

14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$9.28 €8.15

-23.28%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,487

$2.63 €2.31

-34.98%

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

$1.05 COP 3,374

$1.99 €1.75

-47.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,324

$1.62 €1.42

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,531

$2.42 €2.12

-28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.15 €1.89

47.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$1.05 €0.93

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,215

$1.72 €1.51

-23.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,279

$2.56 €2.25

-48.05%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,338

$3.57 €3.14

-36.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$15.41 €13.55

-71.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$6.99 €6.14

-15.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$8.04 €7.07

7.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,545

$1.57 €1.38

49.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,546

$1.54 €1.35

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,724

$2.27 €2.00

-35.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,439

$4.66 €4.09

-70.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.41 €1.24

-17.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,765

$1.76 €1.55

-33.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,905

$1.56 €1.37

-42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,708

$0.79 €0.70

6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,490

$6.73 €5.91

-65.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$4.60 €4.05

159.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,693

$1.81 €1.59

-36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,791

$1.88 €1.65

28.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,702

$1.13 €0.99

-25.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.4K

$29.08 €25.57

40.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,541

$1.42 €1.25

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,160

$1.28 €1.12

49.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$13.91 €12.23

-43.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,037

$1.79 €1.57

-47.49%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$25.2K €22.2K

-29.43%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$25.1K €22.0K

8.04%

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

$83.3 COP 267.9K

$234 €206

-64.42%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$28.30 €24.88

-65.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$22.93 €20.16

5.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.2K

$41.83 €36.77

-39.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

$17.02 €14.96

13.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$8.61 €7.57

-52.73%

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

$307 COP 986.5K

$454 €399

-32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$7,316 €6,431

-18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.9K

$61.2 €53.8

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.1K

$31.45 €27.65

3.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.2K

$80.5 €70.7

25.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.6K

$103 €90.7

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$587 €516

-18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$486 €428

-22.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$983 €864

-16.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$766 €673

-7.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$3,552 €3,122

-10.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$2,407 €2,116

-39.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$842 €741

-26.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.16

222.84%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cadca: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $587 in Cadca. 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 35% higher in Cadca, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $29.00 in Cadca. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $253 in Cadca – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cadca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cadca costs about 37% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $2,090 in Cadca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 40% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $307 per month in Medellin and $454 in Cadca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in Cadca at $1,393. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cadca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,018 versus $1,393 in Cadca. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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