Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Castel

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,391 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Castel

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 Castel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,391 in Castel, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Castel $2,391

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,843 in Castel, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Castel $3,843

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,295 in Castel, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Castel $5,295

Medellin is about 31% cheaper than Castel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Castel sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Castel by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$39.87 GGP 29.78

-79.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$80.0 GGP 59.8

-41.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$5.08 GGP 3.80

-40.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$3.36 GGP 2.51

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$3.93 GGP 2.93

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.28 GGP 3.19

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.48 GGP 4.84

-11.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.06 GGP 1.54

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$2.22 GGP 1.66

-39.19%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$26.64 GGP 19.90

-49.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$65.7 GGP 49.06

-57.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,971 GGP 1,472

-38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,835 GGP 1,371

-65.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$4,043 GGP 3,020

-49.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$3,782 GGP 2,825

-73.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Castel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Castel

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Castel

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Castel

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Castel

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Castel

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Castel

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Castel

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,971 in Castel. 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 $47 in Medellin versus $80 in Castel. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $21 in Castel – so Castel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇬 Castel

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 GGP = 1.34 USD

1 GGP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GGP (1 GGP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GGP (1 GGP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Castel 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Castel

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 Castel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Castel is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,587 in Castel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,971 in Castel.

Interestingly, groceries are about 93% cheaper in Castel – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $80 in Castel. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,391 in Castel. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.