Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Catamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Catamarca: $1,141 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Catamarca
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Catamarca Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Catamarca

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Catamarca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,141 in Catamarca.

Medellin $1,589
Catamarca $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,902 in Catamarca.

Medellin $2,364
Catamarca $1,902

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $2,664 in Catamarca.

Medellin $3,139
Catamarca $2,664

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Catamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Catamarca is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 COP 26.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.64 COP 152.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 COP 30.9K

Cappuccino

$2.98 COP 9,518

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

$1.79 COP 5,725

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,322

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,632

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 COP 7,994

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,329

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,234

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 COP 31.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.5K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 COP 43.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,824

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,947

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,360

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 COP 6,235

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,272

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,765

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 COP 4,130

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 COP 42.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 COP 5,220

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 COP 7,332

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 COP 245.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 COP 4,162

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 COP 6,709

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,151

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

$27.4K COP 87.5M

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

$35.2K COP 112.5M

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

$166 COP 530.4K

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

$13.44 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.76 COP 91.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.38 COP 145.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.71 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 COP 19.9K

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

$781 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,114 COP 29.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 COP 277.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 COP 188.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 430.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 COP 313.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,840 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,013 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,677 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 COP 2.0M

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 6, 2026

Last update for Catamarca: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Catamarca

$314 27.5% 48% $290

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Catamarca

$213 * 18.6% 26.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Catamarca

$154 13.4% 24.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Catamarca

$158 * 13.8% 4.9% $8.1

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Catamarca

$250 21.9% 50.4% $84

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Catamarca

$5.8 * 0.5% 93.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Catamarca

$50 4.3% 12.1% $6.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $488 in Catamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $55.0 in Catamarca. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $213, with Catamarca cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇷 Catamarca

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

160,058

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,566 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Catamarca 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Catamarca

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 Catamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 39% 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 $2,384 in Medellin and $1,711 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $488 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $1,141 in Catamarca – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,141 in Catamarca versus $1,589 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 $1,141 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 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.