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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $781 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,240 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,699 in Crato.

Living in Medellin is roughly 28% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Crato 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$5.53 R$28.07

6.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$27.17 R$138

21.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.20 R$31.46

19.84%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.77 R$8.98

-6.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.07 R$5.45

2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.67 R$3.39

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.82 R$9.21

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.73 R$13.85

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.00 R$5.10

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.52 R$7.70

-17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.13 R$5.75

22.12%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.97 R$9.98

10.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$8.35 R$42.37

-46.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.72 R$18.85

55.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.15 R$36.26

25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.04 R$10.37

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.30 R$6.60

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.20 R$6.10

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.51 R$7.64

-9.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.20 R$6.07

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.11 R$5.64

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.69 R$3.50

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.62 R$3.13

45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.14 R$10.87

4.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$8.43 R$42.77

43.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.22 R$6.17

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.00 R$10.13

24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.87 R$4.39

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$39.15 R$199

6.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.09 R$5.54

30.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.74 R$3.76

163.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.25 R$31.73

26.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.07 R$5.44

-7.48%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$20.4K R$103.6K

-13.75%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$28.1K R$142.4K

-4.53%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$59.5 R$302

39.49%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$13.56 R$68.8

-28.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$18.82 R$95.5

24.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.35 R$113

13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$21.43 R$109

-10.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.43 R$32.63

-38.57%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$274 R$1,389

15.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$6,561 R$33.3K

-8.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$48.96 R$248

22.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$42.04 R$213

-24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$76.5 R$388

32.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$65.7 R$333

63.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$310 R$1,575

53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$213 R$1,082

75.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$588 R$2,983

44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$425 R$2,156

69.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,686 R$8,558

93.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,224 R$6,213

17.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Crato: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $310 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 $193 vs $176 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 28% 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 $1,504 in Medellin and $1,172 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: $475 in Medellin versus $310 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 6% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $274 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $781 in Crato versus $1,003 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 $781 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 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.