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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,227 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,697 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,167 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% less than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cayo Coco 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$5.11 CUP 123

17.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$14.97 CUP 359

119.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$7.09 CUP 170

4.65%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$0.98 CUP 23.52

68.37%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.98 CUP 47.48

-45.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$1.03 CUP 24.62

-26.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$2.02 CUP 48.54

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.93 CUP 70.3

9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$3.07 CUP 73.7

-65.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.98 CUP 23.63

33.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.98 CUP 47.44

-32.32%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$3.54 CUP 85.0

-38.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$6.12 CUP 147

-27.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$5.10 CUP 122

11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$10.15 CUP 244

-16.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$4.85 CUP 116

-51.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.98 CUP 23.47

13.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$0.97 CUP 23.30

56.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.98 CUP 23.57

39.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.99 CUP 23.69

16.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$3.07 CUP 73.8

-61.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.02 CUP 24.43

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$1.02 CUP 24.44

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$3.06 CUP 73.4

-26.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$9.83 CUP 236

18.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.94 CUP 46.58

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.97 CUP 47.21

25.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$19.87 CUP 477

105.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.01 CUP 24.33

45.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$1.01 CUP 24.34

90.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$20.33 CUP 488

-61.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.99 CUP 23.71

2.02%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

-74.70%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$81.5K CUP 2.0M

-67.56%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$39.66 CUP 952

104.49%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$40.34 CUP 968

-76.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$222 CUP 5,340

-89.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$40.72 CUP 977

-36.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$10.15 CUP 244

84.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$0.98 CUP 23.44

317.35%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$90.1 CUP 2,163

248.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$14.8K CUP 354.7K

-59.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$40.80 CUP 979

46.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$29.80 CUP 715

7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$75.4 CUP 1,808

34.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$81.5 CUP 1,957

28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$403 CUP 9,675

20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$422 CUP 10.1K

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$1,064 CUP 25.5K

-22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$612 CUP 14.7K

19.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$300 CUP 7,197

897.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$354 CUP 8,503

270.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$19.96 CUP 479

2659.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2659% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $235, with Medellin 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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 2659% more on average, 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: $485 in Medellin versus $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 105% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $90.1 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,227 in Cayo Coco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.