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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $954 in Catamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,551 in Catamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,147 in Catamarca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 8% more expensive than Catamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Catamarca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$10.71 ARS 14.9K

-44.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$33.83 ARS 47.2K

-3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$9.14 ARS 12.8K

-21.23%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.65 ARS 3,702

-35.85%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.72 ARS 2,403

-36.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$1.49 ARS 2,074

-51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.17 ARS 3,030

-23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.07 ARS 4,279

0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.30 ARS 1,808

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.58 ARS 2,199

-20.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$2.03 ARS 2,828

-31.53%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.18 ARS 3,049

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.27 ARS 14.3K

-57.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.22 ARS 8,678

-6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.64 ARS 13.5K

-8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.01 ARS 2,807

11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.14 ARS 2,989

-49.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.32 ARS 1,848

15.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.52 ARS 3,519

-45.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.18 ARS 1,649

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.24 ARS 1,723

-9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.32 ARS 1,844

-35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.44 ARS 2,007

-36.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.10 ARS 4,329

-24.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$5.54 ARS 7,724

100.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.06 ARS 2,873

-42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.06 ARS 4,266

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.84 ARS 1,167

-5.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.46 ARS 2,038

-1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.92 ARS 1,278

107.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.03 ARS 8,408

33.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.06 ARS 1,486

-11.32%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$27.6K ARS 38.5M

-35.02%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$30.1K ARS 42.0M

-10.99%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$68.3 ARS 95.3K

22.95%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.26 ARS 24.1K

-44.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$22.87 ARS 31.9K

5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$26.16 ARS 36.5K

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$13.88 ARS 19.4K

37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.17 ARS 8,615

-36.47%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$224 ARS 312.0K

37.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$2,692 ARS 3.8M

119.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$74.1 ARS 103.4K

-21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$68.2 ARS 95.2K

-53.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$114 ARS 158.5K

-12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$111 ARS 155.2K

-3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$344 ARS 480.0K

41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$239 ARS 334.0K

53.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$681 ARS 950.0K

21.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$547 ARS 762.5K

31.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,926 ARS 2.7M

51.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Catamarca: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $344 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 $233 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 8% 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 $1,550 in Medellin and $1,431 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: $487 in Medellin versus $344 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $954 in Catamarca – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Catamarca versus $1,034 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 $954 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 8% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.