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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $768 in Catanduva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,256 in Catanduva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,744 in Catanduva.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than Catanduva, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Catanduva 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$7.03 R$34.96

-15.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$32.94 R$164

0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.71 R$33.36

8.05%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.79 R$8.88

-4.47%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.22 R$6.09

-10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.77 R$3.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.83 R$9.12

-4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.76 R$13.71

15.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.03 R$5.12

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.75 R$8.69

-25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.14 R$5.67

21.05%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.84 R$9.14

20.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$10.06 R$50.0

-55.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.04 R$20.06

43.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$8.23 R$40.90

8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.18 R$10.82

5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.29 R$6.42

-17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.43 R$7.11

5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$0.74 R$3.68

83.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.92 R$4.55

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$0.88 R$4.36

32.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.93 R$4.62

-10.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.67 R$3.35

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$1.85 R$9.18

27.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$8.21 R$40.78

35.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.31 R$6.52

-12.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.05 R$10.17

20.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.93 R$4.63

-15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$38.50 R$191

8.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.16 R$5.75

24.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.63 R$3.12

201.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$7.53 R$37.44

2.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.07 R$5.33

-3.74%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$22.8K R$113.5K

-22.58%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$28.8K R$143.4K

-6.35%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$52.0 R$259

56.49%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$6.12 R$30.42

53.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$16.33 R$81.2

45.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$22.10 R$110

17.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$21.82 R$108

-11.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.39 R$31.74

-36.62%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$331 R$1,646

-5.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$8,762 R$43.5K

-30.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$54.3 R$270

8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$36.28 R$180

-9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$75.8 R$377

32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$53.2 R$264

99.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$311 R$1,545

57.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$216 R$1,074

71.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$579 R$2,879

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$429 R$2,131

66.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,640 R$8,152

79.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,247 R$6,195

11.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Catanduva: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $311 in Catanduva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $33 in Catanduva. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $186, with Catanduva cheaper for home cooking.

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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,030 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 $1,544 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: $490 in Medellin versus $311 in Catanduva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $33.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $768 in Catanduva versus $1,030 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 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.