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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $778 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,240 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,701 in Castanhal.

Living in Medellin is roughly 29% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Castanhal 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$5.34 R$27.12

10.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$26.67 R$135

23.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.12 R$31.08

21.41%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.81 R$9.17

-8.84%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.12 R$5.67

-1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.67 R$3.38

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.83 R$9.29

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.71 R$13.76

17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.93 R$4.73

18.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.51 R$7.64

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.13 R$5.72

22.12%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.96 R$9.95

11.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$8.09 R$41.08

-44.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.72 R$18.87

55.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.37 R$37.38

21.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.09 R$10.59

11.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.26 R$6.39

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.16 R$5.86

31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.51 R$7.67

-9.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.16 R$5.88

-2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.10 R$5.59

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.69 R$3.51

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.66 R$3.36

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.07 R$10.50

7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$8.83 R$44.80

37.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.27 R$6.43

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.02 R$10.23

22.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.92 R$4.66

-7.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$38.12 R$193

9.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.06 R$5.40

33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.72 R$3.63

170.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.23 R$31.60

26.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.04 R$5.29

-4.81%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$20.9K R$106.1K

-15.85%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$27.9K R$141.8K

-4.12%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$60.2 R$306

37.82%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$13.39 R$67.9

-27.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$19.03 R$96.6

23.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.86 R$116

10.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$21.61 R$110

-11.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.22 R$31.55

-36.50%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$275 R$1,394

14.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$6,563 R$33.3K

-8.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$49.37 R$251

21.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$41.54 R$211

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$76.7 R$389

32.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$63.5 R$322

69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$310 R$1,572

53.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$219 R$1,110

70.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$590 R$2,994

43.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$425 R$2,155

69.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,525 R$7,737

114.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,002 R$5,086

43.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $310 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $176 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 29% 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 $1,504 in Medellin and $1,167 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: $475 in Medellin versus $310 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 $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $778 in Castanhal – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $778 in Castanhal versus $1,003 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 $778 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 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.