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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $839 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,334 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,829 in Crato.

Living in Medellin is roughly 100% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Crato is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$5.56 R$28.59

44.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$33.78 R$174

41.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.44 R$33.11

53.57%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.06 R$10.61

51.94%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.14 R$5.87

67.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.73 R$3.78

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.99 R$10.24

56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.11 R$15.99

84.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.09 R$5.60

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.59 R$8.16

56.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.18 R$6.05

50.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.27 R$11.69

30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.64 R$54.7

-5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.18 R$21.52

142.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$9.14 R$46.99

56.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.37 R$12.20

74.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.18 R$6.06

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.07 R$5.49

110.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.60 R$8.25

40.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.17 R$6.03

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.17 R$6.03

31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.84 R$4.30

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.78 R$4.00

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.32 R$11.95

68.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.54 R$43.91

64.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.19 R$6.11

46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.79 R$9.19

60.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.99 R$5.08

23.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$40.41 R$208

99.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.08 R$5.53

21.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.76 R$3.89

188.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$7.49 R$38.49

16.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.32 R$6.79

3.79%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$23.1K R$118.8K

20.44%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$36.8K R$189.4K

-2.90%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$73.7 R$379

140.54%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$10.57 R$54.3

31.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$20.18 R$104

47.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$24.53 R$126

82.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$25.69 R$132

-33.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$7.51 R$38.62

-11.45%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$307 R$1,577

165.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$7,377 R$37.9K

24.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$47.17 R$243

89.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$49.67 R$255

18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$94.9 R$488

45.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$68.4 R$352

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$336 R$1,727

216.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$232 R$1,195

185.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$715 R$3,676

164.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$444 R$2,283

131.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,734 R$8,914

141.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,082 R$5,563

54.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.06

-1.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Crato: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $336 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $197 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 100% 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 $2,521 in Medellin and $1,259 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $336 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 99% 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 $307 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $839 in Crato versus $1,681 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 $839 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 100% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.