Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,281 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cartago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Cartago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,281 in Cartago, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Cartago $1,281

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,972 in Cartago, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Cartago $1,972

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,663 in Cartago, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Cartago $2,663

Medellin costs about 26% more than Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Cartago is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$7.58 COP 24.1K

4.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$37.20 COP 118.3K

24.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$8.47 COP 26.9K

12.16%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$1.54 COP 4,884

101.95%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$1.28 COP 4,063

42.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,373

$0.83 COP 2,634

66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$3.10 COP 9,869

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$3.66 COP 11.7K

50.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.60 COP 5,088

-9.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$1.88 COP 5,973

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$1.49 COP 4,751

12.75%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$2.93 COP 9,334

-2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$6.58 COP 20.9K

54.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$7.11 COP 22.6K

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$9.93 COP 31.6K

41.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.57 COP 11.4K

14.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.32 COP 4,200

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$1.74 COP 5,530

24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.63 COP 5,184

41.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$1.42 COP 4,522

35.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.50 COP 4,758

9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$1.08 COP 3,443

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$1.03 COP 3,261

21.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$3.69 COP 11.7K

8.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$13.12 COP 41.7K

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$1.50 COP 4,756

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,548

$2.45 COP 7,794

-3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$1.02 COP 3,244

18.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,192

$0.79 COP 2,524

67.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$2.27 COP 7,230

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$8.40 COP 26.7K

0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.32 COP 4,211

-1.52%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$28.0K COP 89.1M

-0.14%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$34.6K COP 110.2M

2.22%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$110 COP 349.3K

56.67%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$13.23 COP 42.1K

1.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$30.26 COP 96.2K

-5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$42.32 COP 134.6K

6.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$8.24 COP 26.2K

-23.79%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$701 COP 2.2M

9.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$6,430 COP 20.5M

40.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$77.8 COP 247.3K

11.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$55.1 COP 175.4K

3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$127 COP 403.0K

7.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$111 COP 351.7K

-11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$645 COP 2.1M

63.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$509 COP 1.6M

21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,041 COP 3.3M

81.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$970 COP 3.1M

5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,999 COP 6.4M

103.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,803 COP 5.7M

-6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.58

-5.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Cartago

$509 39.7% 17.4% $107

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Cartago

$241 18.8% 18.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Cartago

$153 12% 28.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Cartago

$167 13% 2.1% $3.5

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Cartago

$136 10.6% 19.4% $33

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Cartago

$16 * 1.3% 82.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Cartago

$59 4.6% 1.7% $1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $645 in Cartago. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Cartago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $241 – making Cartago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

135,365

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Medellin Cartago 170 km

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Medellin
Cartago

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,921 in Cartago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartago, 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 $1,614 in Medellin and $1,281 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $701 in Cartago. 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 Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cartago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cartago. 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.