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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $858 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,351 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,844 in Castanhal.

Living in Medellin is roughly 96% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Castanhal is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.75 R$29.60

39.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$35.32 R$182

35.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.17 R$36.96

37.94%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.90 R$9.77

64.74%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.34 R$6.92

42.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.79 R$4.09

91.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.98 R$10.21

57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.83 R$14.60

103.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.06 R$5.48

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.70 R$8.76

46.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.27 R$6.54

39.37%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.09 R$10.78

41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.57 R$44.17

17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.27 R$21.97

137.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.12 R$41.85

76.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.37 R$12.22

74.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.34 R$6.90

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.20 R$6.18

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.74 R$8.95

29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.09 R$5.61

87.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.22 R$6.29

26.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.76 R$3.94

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.75 R$3.89

74.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.32 R$11.96

68.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.78 R$45.21

59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.15 R$5.94

51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.87 R$9.64

53.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.01 R$5.22

20.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$47.51 R$245

69.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.29 R$6.63

1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.81 R$4.16

170.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.61 R$39.20

14.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.30 R$6.69

5.38%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$20.4K R$105.0K

36.57%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.3K R$176.8K

4.25%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$66.7 R$344

165.82%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.49 R$59.2

20.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$23.06 R$119

28.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.09 R$129

78.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$29.80 R$154

-42.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.94 R$35.76

-4.18%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$318 R$1,637

155.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,060 R$41.5K

13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$52.8 R$272

69.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$48.29 R$249

22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$92.3 R$476

49.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$71.5 R$368

42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$332 R$1,709

220.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$211 R$1,089

213.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$716 R$3,690

163.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$400 R$2,060

156.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,553 R$8,000

169.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,116 R$5,752

50.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.06

-1.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $332 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $191 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 96% 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 $2,521 in Medellin and $1,286 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $332 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 $35.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $858 in Castanhal – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $858 in Castanhal versus $1,681 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 $858 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 96% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.