Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chiquimula

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiquimula: $819 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$819

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chiquimula

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $819 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Chiquimula $819

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,358 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Chiquimula $1,358

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,896 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Chiquimula $1,896

Medellin costs about 97% more than Chiquimula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chiquimula is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$9.03 Q 69.1

-12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$51.4 Q 393

-10.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.54 Q 65.3

11.24%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.03 Q 30.82

-22.83%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.10 Q 16.09

-12.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.53 Q 11.70

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.80 Q 29.07

-19.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$5.79 Q 44.28

-5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.04 Q 15.56

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.75 Q 28.67

-37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.91 Q 14.57

-12.04%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.36 Q 18.05

21.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$5.31 Q 40.59

91.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$13.73 Q 105

-30.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.18 Q 77.8

37.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$5.02 Q 38.39

-18.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.37 Q 18.11

-36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$5.22 Q 39.87

-58.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.57 Q 12.01

47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.94 Q 14.82

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.73 Q 13.23

-5.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.33 Q 10.16

-15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.36 Q 10.42

-8.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.87 Q 29.61

3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.73 Q 59.1

72.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.82 Q 21.58

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.76 Q 28.73

-36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$4.71 Q 36.00

-71.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.33 Q 10.19

-2.26%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$22.4K Q 171.5K

24.78%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$21.8K Q 166.6K

62.50%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$57.9 Q 443

197.22%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$38.55 Q 295

-65.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$62.2 Q 475

-53.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$8.21 Q 62.8

-23.51%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$545 Q 4,170

41.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$14.0K Q 106.9K

-35.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$43.70 Q 334

97.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$53.7 Q 411

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$92.6 Q 708

47.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$79.8 Q 610

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

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 12, 2026

Last update for Chiquimula: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Chiquimula

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Chiquimula

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Chiquimula

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Chiquimula

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Chiquimula

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Chiquimula

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Chiquimula

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $51.0 in Chiquimula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $326 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

04:09 4:09 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

79,815

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chiquimula 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chiquimula

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 Chiquimula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,228 in Chiquimula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $51.0 in Chiquimula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chiquimula, where all-in costs run around $819, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Chiquimula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiquimula – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiquimula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.