Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Catanduva Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Catanduva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $768 in Catanduva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,253 in Catanduva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,738 in Catanduva.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than Catanduva, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Catanduva 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$7.15 R$36.21

-16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$32.26 R$163

3.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.86 R$34.72

5.39%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.76 R$8.89

-7.39%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.27 R$6.41

-14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.77 R$3.89

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.79 R$9.04

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.71 R$13.73

19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.94 R$4.77

11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.83 R$9.24

-29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.14 R$5.76

15.79%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.82 R$9.23

24.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.92 R$50.2

-56.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.09 R$20.69

43.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.22 R$41.61

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.09 R$10.60

7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.24 R$6.26

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.42 R$7.21

7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.69 R$3.51

105.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.88 R$4.43

32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.94 R$4.74

24.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.93 R$4.73

-4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.67 R$3.40

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.82 R$9.21

23.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.75 R$39.25

42.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.38 R$6.98

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.99 R$10.08

19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.87 R$4.39

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$38.58 R$195

8.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.12 R$5.66

25.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.58 R$2.92

227.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.65 R$38.73

1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.03 R$5.21

-1.94%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$22.2K R$112.4K

-20.85%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.2K R$142.5K

-5.89%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$50.9 R$257

64.56%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$6.17 R$31.26

53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$16.49 R$83.5

46.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.13 R$112

14.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$21.66 R$110

-11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.32 R$32.00

-35.13%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$332 R$1,681

-6.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,798 R$44.5K

-31.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$54.5 R$276

6.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$35.99 R$182

-9.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$74.3 R$376

34.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$55.0 R$278

97.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$317 R$1,605

52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$220 R$1,115

72.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$574 R$2,908

45.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$435 R$2,204

66.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,393 R$7,052

103.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,125 R$5,694

8.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.17

20.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Catanduva: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $317 in Catanduva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Catanduva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $184 per month, with Catanduva 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 Catanduva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Catanduva differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $768 including rent). Catanduva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,152 in Catanduva 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 $317 in Catanduva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Catanduva – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $768 in Catanduva versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Catanduva but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Catanduva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Catanduva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.