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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,161 in Catamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,905 in Catamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,649 in Catamarca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 45% more expensive than in Catamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Catamarca is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$15.07 ARS 22.6K

-47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$44.49 ARS 66.6K

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$13.60 ARS 20.4K

-31.69%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.35 ARS 5,008

-13.43%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.98 ARS 2,970

-8.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.72 ARS 2,574

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$3.78 ARS 5,654

-14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$3.92 ARS 5,870

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.21 ARS 1,806

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$2.16 ARS 3,230

13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.32 ARS 1,982

14.39%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.74 ARS 4,101

1.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$10.54 ARS 15.8K

-14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$7.28 ARS 10.9K

46.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$10.12 ARS 15.2K

44.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.16 ARS 3,237

83.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$2.18 ARS 3,258

-36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.36 ARS 2,034

69.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$2.52 ARS 3,768

-19.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.96 ARS 1,435

117.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$0.79 ARS 1,181

106.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.58 ARS 2,365

-31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.53 ARS 2,297

-18.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.64 ARS 5,449

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$4.26 ARS 6,373

216.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.88 ARS 2,807

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$3.30 ARS 4,940

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.88 ARS 1,316

34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.66 ARS 2,487

-3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.05 ARS 1,576

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$7.48 ARS 11.2K

13.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.25 ARS 1,864

8.00%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$28.9K ARS 43.2M

-1.96%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$31.8K ARS 47.6M

12.31%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$73.3 ARS 109.8K

106.44%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$15.43 ARS 23.1K

-15.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$22.04 ARS 33.0K

46.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$29.37 ARS 44.0K

57.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$8.05 ARS 12.1K

-20.12%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$265 ARS 396.0K

215.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$4,034 ARS 6.0M

120.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$100 ARS 149.9K

-10.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$59.4 ARS 88.9K

-6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$116 ARS 173.5K

17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$127 ARS 190.5K

-14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$449 ARS 672.8K

111.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$355 ARS 531.8K

88.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$864 ARS 1.3M

133.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$712 ARS 1.1M

61.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,823 ARS 2.7M

102.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,451 ARS 2.2M

9.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

54.72

-80.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Catamarca: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $449 in Catamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $44.00 in Catamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $244 per month, with Catamarca 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 45% 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 $2,530 in Medellin and $1,742 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: $952 in Medellin versus $449 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $1,161 in Catamarca – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,161 in Catamarca versus $1,687 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 $1,161 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 45% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.