Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caranavi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caranavi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,103 in Caranavi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,522 in Caranavi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,940 in Caranavi.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 7% less than in Caranavi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Caranavi 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$2.41 BOB 16.56

148.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$7.32 BOB 50.2

1.37%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$3.25 BOB 22.28

-49.23%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.70 BOB 4.81

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.52 BOB 3.57

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.47 BOB 10.11

17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$3.31 BOB 22.73

-3.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.46 BOB 10.02

-10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$2.83 BOB 19.41

-52.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$0.90 BOB 6.14

143.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$1.92 BOB 13.16

196.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$5.67 BOB 38.91

50.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$3.30 BOB 22.66

-29.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.78 BOB 12.24

-37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.49 BOB 10.21

2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.18 BOB 8.09

16.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.12 BOB 7.66

2.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.70 BOB 4.83

68.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$1.04 BOB 7.15

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.28 BOB 22.48

-31.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$5.66 BOB 38.80

104.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$2.22 BOB 15.22

-45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$4.38 BOB 30.08

-43.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.53 BOB 3.66

49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$14.31 BOB 98.2

185.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.44 BOB 9.85

2.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.79 BOB 12.28

7.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$14.48 BOB 99.3

-46.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$14.3K BOB 98.0K

23.63%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$101 BOB 695

-19.92%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$67.1 BOB 460

-64.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$14.68 BOB 101

77.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$21.67 BOB 149

-13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$6.67 BOB 45.76

-38.68%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$146 BOB 1,000

115.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$2,887 BOB 19.8K

108.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$30.50 BOB 209

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$50.9 BOB 349

98.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$72.8 BOB 499

44.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$888 BOB 6,088

-45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$572 BOB 3,923

-36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$1,146 BOB 7,863

-27.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$963 BOB 6,606

-24.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$369 BOB 2,529

49.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Caranavi: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $888 in Caranavi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 Caranavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Medellin versus $888 in Caranavi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Caranavi pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $1,103 in Caranavi – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,103 in Caranavi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Caranavi. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Caranavi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Caranavi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Caranavi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.