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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,475 in Cadca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,045 in Cadca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,616 in Cadca, rent included.

Medellin costs about 11% more than Cadca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Cadca sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Cadca by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.68 €8.34

-16.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.9K

$35.26 €30.39

36.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

$10.29 €8.87

-8.45%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,056

$3.22 €2.78

-8.70%

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

$1.86 COP 5,745

$2.34 €2.02

-20.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,487

$2.07 €1.78

-29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,899

$2.42 €2.08

32.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.55 €2.20

123.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,436

$1.05 €0.91

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,401

$1.55 €1.34

54.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,237

$2.03 €1.75

-16.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,911

$3.66 €3.15

-21.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$10.63 €9.16

-5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$8.86 €7.64

12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.8K

$11.47 €9.89

23.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.04 €1.75

95.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,886

$2.07 €1.79

-23.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,635

$2.73 €2.36

-21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,090

$2.76 €2.38

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,179

$1.34 €1.15

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,654

$1.78 €1.53

-15.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,707

$1.77 €1.53

-32.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,953

$0.85 €0.73

50.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.77 €5.83

-43.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.2K

$3.42 €2.95

309.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,265

$1.85 €1.59

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,454

$1.77 €1.52

54.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,840

$1.15 €0.99

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,023

$4.02 €3.47

-67.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,692

$0.43 €0.37

404.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

$14.21 €12.25

-41.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,179

$1.76 €1.51

-22.73%

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

$27.5K COP 84.7M

$27.2K €23.4K

1.09%

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

$36.5K COP 112.6M

$23.1K €19.9K

57.97%

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

$169 COP 520.1K

$236 €204

-28.60%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$20.11 €17.34

-32.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.3K

$21.89 €18.86

29.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.9K

$42.34 €36.49

7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.1K

$17.35 €14.96

-0.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$9.46 €8.15

-29.70%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$379 €326

112.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,500 €6,464

22.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.3K

$60.9 €52.5

43.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.0K

$32.23 €27.78

84.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.2K

$81.3 €70.1

70.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.6K

$101 €87.1

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$646 €557

65.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$587 €506

11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,076 €928

78.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$744 €641

40.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,494 €3,012

17.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,887 €2,489

-41.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$878 €757

-25.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.57

206.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cadca: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $646 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 34% higher in Cadca, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Cadca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $251 – making Cadca 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 Cadca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 11% more than Cadca, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,212 in Cadca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,475 in Cadca. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $803 per month in Medellin and $379 in Cadca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cadca, where all-in costs run around $1,475, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Cadca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cadca costs $1,475 versus $1,641 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cadca. 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.