Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Catamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Catamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $962 in Catamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,562 in Catamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,162 in Catamarca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than Catamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Catamarca 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$10.33 ARS 14.8K

-42.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$33.61 ARS 48.0K

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$9.09 ARS 13.0K

-20.46%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.65 ARS 3,782

-38.49%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.72 ARS 2,455

-36.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$1.53 ARS 2,188

-52.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.07 ARS 2,956

-15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.03 ARS 4,326

6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.31 ARS 1,866

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.63 ARS 2,326

-20.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.96 ARS 2,800

-32.65%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.19 ARS 3,133

3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.98 ARS 14.3K

-56.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.09 ARS 8,697

-3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.60 ARS 13.7K

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.04 ARS 2,915

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.07 ARS 2,963

-48.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.30 ARS 1,858

16.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.51 ARS 3,588

-43.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.17 ARS 1,673

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.19 ARS 1,693

-1.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.26 ARS 1,798

-29.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.42 ARS 2,031

-36.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.09 ARS 4,408

-27.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$4.65 ARS 6,649

137.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.99 ARS 2,847

-42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.17 ARS 4,523

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.82 ARS 1,171

2.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.47 ARS 2,100

-4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.93 ARS 1,328

104.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.18 ARS 8,823

25.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.11 ARS 1,579

-9.01%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$27.6K ARS 39.4M

-36.21%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$30.1K ARS 43.0M

-12.02%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$67.3 ARS 96.1K

24.34%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$17.36 ARS 24.8K

-45.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$22.79 ARS 32.6K

5.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$26.51 ARS 37.9K

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.86 ARS 19.8K

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.15 ARS 8,787

-33.33%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$219 ARS 313.0K

42.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$2,672 ARS 3.8M

124.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$72.7 ARS 103.8K

-20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$70.9 ARS 101.3K

-54.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$116 ARS 165.1K

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$113 ARS 161.5K

-3.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$333 ARS 475.2K

44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$234 ARS 334.6K

62.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$675 ARS 964.9K

23.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$527 ARS 752.3K

37.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,085 ARS 3.0M

36.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Catamarca: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $333 in Catamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Catamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $229 per month, with Medellin 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 Catamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Catamarca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,443 in Catamarca 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: $482 in Medellin versus $333 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $962 in Catamarca – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $962 in Catamarca versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Catamarca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Catamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Catamarca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $962 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Catamarca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Catamarca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Catamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.