Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cayo Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cayo Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,245 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,697 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,150 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cayo Coco is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.92 CUP 118

63.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$15.29 CUP 367

213.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.86 CUP 165

44.17%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$0.98 CUP 23.48

219.39%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.05 CUP 49.25

-6.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.03 CUP 24.61

46.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.98 CUP 47.52

57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.08 CUP 74.0

86.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-53.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.98 CUP 23.49

154.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.05 CUP 49.18

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.62 CUP 86.8

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.89 CUP 141

70.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.10 CUP 123

98.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.19 CUP 245

40.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.03 CUP 121

-17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.99 CUP 23.67

62.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.03 CUP 24.70

118.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.99 CUP 23.66

127.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.02 CUP 24.43

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.95 CUP 70.8

-47.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.02 CUP 24.59

14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.01 CUP 24.28

29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.02 CUP 72.4

29.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.90 CUP 238

41.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.03 CUP 48.68

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.05 CUP 49.11

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$19.98 CUP 480

302.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.98 CUP 23.42

33.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.97 CUP 23.34

125.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$19.67 CUP 472

-55.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.98 CUP 23.60

39.80%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

-59.61%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$79.7K CUP 1.9M

-55.10%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$40.10 CUP 962

342.14%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$40.25 CUP 966

-65.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$224 CUP 5,371

-86.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$39.52 CUP 948

13.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$9.82 CUP 236

74.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$0.99 CUP 23.70

571.72%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$90.0 CUP 2,160

803.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$14.9K CUP 356.4K

-38.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$40.53 CUP 973

120.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$29.88 CUP 717

97.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$73.5 CUP 1,764

88.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$80.4 CUP 1,929

27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$394 CUP 9,451

169.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$417 CUP 10.0K

58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,050 CUP 25.2K

79.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$631 CUP 15.2K

62.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$305 CUP 7,310

1273.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$356 CUP 8,547

370.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$19.79 CUP 475

3324.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3325% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $236 per month, with Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3325% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 303% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $90.0 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,245 in Cayo Coco versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,245 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.