Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Castanhal Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Castanhal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $768 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,219 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,671 in Castanhal.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than Castanhal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Castanhal 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$5.46 R$27.14

8.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$26.84 R$133

23.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.14 R$30.50

18.08%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.73 R$8.60

-1.16%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.08 R$5.34

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.65 R$3.24

18.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.76 R$8.76

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.66 R$13.23

19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$0.92 R$4.59

15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.44 R$7.14

-9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.13 R$5.59

22.12%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.95 R$9.67

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$8.32 R$41.35

-45.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$3.54 R$17.61

63.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$7.10 R$35.26

26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.04 R$10.16

12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.26 R$6.25

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.19 R$5.92

26.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.44 R$7.16

-5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.15 R$5.72

0.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.11 R$5.52

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.69 R$3.42

20.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.63 R$3.12

34.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.11 R$10.51

11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$8.53 R$42.42

30.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.28 R$6.34

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.06 R$10.23

19.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.88 R$4.38

-10.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$38.11 R$189

9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.06 R$5.24

35.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.71 R$3.51

167.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$6.35 R$31.56

21.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.07 R$5.32

-3.74%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.1K R$104.9K

-16.22%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$27.6K R$137.3K

-2.22%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$60.7 R$301

34.22%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$13.59 R$67.6

-30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$19.07 R$94.8

24.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$22.46 R$112

15.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$21.19 R$105

-8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.14 R$30.50

-34.04%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$266 R$1,322

17.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,577 R$32.7K

-7.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$48.69 R$242

20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$42.48 R$211

-22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$74.4 R$370

35.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$64.2 R$319

65.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$314 R$1,561

55.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$213 R$1,060

73.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 R$2,936

41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$435 R$2,161

64.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,632 R$8,111

80.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,278 R$6,353

9.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $314 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $27 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $173 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,544 in Medellin and $1,152 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Medellin versus $314 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Medellin versus $768 in Castanhal – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $768 in Castanhal versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $768 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.