Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cafayate Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cafayate

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $928 in Cafayate, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,504 in Cafayate, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $2,080 in Cafayate, rent included.

Medellin costs about 10% more than Cafayate, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Cafayate are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Cafayate 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.89 ARS 9,848

-13.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$32.13 ARS 45.9K

3.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$9.00 ARS 12.9K

-19.67%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.79 ARS 3,991

-41.58%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.53 ARS 2,191

-28.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.84 ARS 1,200

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.06 ARS 2,942

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.04 ARS 4,338

6.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.29 ARS 1,843

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.56 ARS 2,228

-17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.94 ARS 2,768

-31.96%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.18 ARS 3,116

4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$10.21 ARS 14.6K

-57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.08 ARS 8,685

-3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.33 ARS 13.3K

-7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.96 ARS 2,793

14.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.09 ARS 2,985

-48.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.33 ARS 1,896

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.57 ARS 3,669

-44.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.14 ARS 1,634

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.20 ARS 1,711

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.27 ARS 1,813

-29.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.48 ARS 2,114

-39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.20 ARS 4,565

-29.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.41 ARS 7,727

104.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.08 ARS 2,965

-45.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.15 ARS 4,503

-24.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.82 ARS 1,174

2.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.53 ARS 2,191

-7.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.85 ARS 1,219

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.08 ARS 8,684

27.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.06 ARS 1,508

-4.72%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$27.0K ARS 38.6M

-34.90%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$30.9K ARS 44.2M

-14.30%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$65.8 ARS 94.0K

27.15%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$16.89 ARS 24.1K

-44.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$22.45 ARS 32.1K

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$26.49 ARS 37.8K

-4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.69 ARS 19.6K

39.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.05 ARS 8,640

-32.23%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$216 ARS 309.2K

44.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$2,654 ARS 3.8M

125.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$73.1 ARS 104.5K

-20.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$69.7 ARS 99.5K

-53.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$116 ARS 165.3K

-13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$113 ARS 161.9K

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$339 ARS 484.0K

42.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$240 ARS 342.5K

58.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$669 ARS 955.1K

25.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$527 ARS 753.4K

37.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,837 ARS 2.6M

54.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cafayate: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $339 in Cafayate. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Cafayate. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $231 in Cafayate – 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 Cafayate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,017 in Medellin, $928 in Cafayate – roughly 10% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,392 in Cafayate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Cafayate. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cafayate, where all-in costs run around $928, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Cafayate 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 $928 in Cafayate to $1,017 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cafayate. 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.