Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Crato Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Crato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $763 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,230 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,697 in Crato.

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than Crato, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.42 R$27.42

9.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$27.36 R$139

21.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.28 R$31.82

15.13%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.73 R$8.75

-5.78%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.11 R$5.64

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.61 R$3.08

19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.77 R$8.96

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.75 R$13.90

17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.98 R$4.97

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.45 R$7.34

-11.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.18 R$5.98

11.86%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.00 R$10.14

13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.01 R$40.56

-45.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.60 R$18.22

63.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.11 R$35.97

21.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.15 R$10.89

4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.31 R$6.65

-18.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.20 R$6.09

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.44 R$7.28

-1.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.15 R$5.82

1.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.11 R$5.61

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.73 R$3.70

21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.65 R$3.30

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.12 R$10.71

6.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.32 R$42.14

32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.28 R$6.46

-10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.04 R$10.35

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.87 R$4.43

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$38.14 R$193

9.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.06 R$5.36

33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.74 R$3.75

156.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.50 R$32.89

19.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.07 R$5.43

-5.61%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.0K R$106.1K

-16.15%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.8K R$140.7K

-4.68%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$60.0 R$304

39.37%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$13.52 R$68.4

-30.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$18.93 R$95.8

27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.56 R$114

12.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$21.36 R$108

-10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.42 R$32.52

-36.14%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$265 R$1,343

17.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,537 R$33.1K

-8.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$48.91 R$248

18.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$41.59 R$211

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$75.7 R$383

31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$64.5 R$327

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$321 R$1,627

50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$215 R$1,087

76.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$576 R$2,916

45.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$429 R$2,172

68.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,616 R$8,180

75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,276 R$6,461

-4.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Crato: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $321 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $175 per month, with Crato 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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,144 in Crato 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 $321 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 10% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $265 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $763 in Crato versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $763 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.