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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $785 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,230 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,676 in Castanhal.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Castanhal 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.38 R$27.73

11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$27.39 R$141

19.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$6.23 R$32.08

13.80%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.74 R$8.95

-1.72%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.12 R$5.77

-1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.66 R$3.39

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.85 R$9.51

-9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.64 R$13.62

16.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$0.92 R$4.75

18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.47 R$7.56

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.19 R$6.15

15.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.04 R$10.52

7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.32 R$42.85

-47.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.60 R$18.53

56.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$7.20 R$37.09

23.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.13 R$10.97

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.26 R$6.51

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.14 R$5.85

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.49 R$7.68

-7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.14 R$5.86

0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.11 R$5.72

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.69 R$3.56

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.66 R$3.41

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.10 R$10.84

8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$6.81 R$35.10

56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.27 R$6.53

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.08 R$10.72

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.93 R$4.81

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$38.19 R$197

8.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.10 R$5.69

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.76 R$3.90

157.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.54 R$33.68

18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.04 R$5.36

-8.65%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$20.4K R$105.1K

-11.15%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$27.8K R$143.3K

-4.79%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$61.0 R$314

34.81%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$13.75 R$70.9

-30.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$18.73 R$96.5

29.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$22.87 R$118

13.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$21.99 R$113

-13.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.23 R$32.09

-36.92%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$266 R$1,369

16.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,397 R$33.0K

-6.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$48.34 R$249

21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$42.34 R$218

-23.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$77.1 R$397

33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$63.2 R$326

71.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$321 R$1,655

48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$213 R$1,098

77.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$585 R$3,012

43.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$438 R$2,255

65.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,771 R$9,125

57.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,097 R$5,653

10.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $321 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 $188 vs $172 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,177 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: $476 in Medellin versus $321 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 $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $785 in Castanhal – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $785 in Castanhal versus $1,013 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 $785 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.