Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dededo

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,734 in Dededo, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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

$1,625

/mo nomad

Dededo

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dededo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,734 in Dededo.

Medellin $1,625
Dededo $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $3,908 in Dededo.

Medellin $2,412
Dededo $3,908

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $5,082 in Dededo.

Medellin $3,199
Dededo $5,082

Living in Medellin costs roughly 41% less than in Dededo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Dededo 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$24.58 $24.58

-66.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$49.68 $49.68

-5.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$16.93 $16.93

-45.42%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,597

$4.47 $4.47

-31.77%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.12 $1.12

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,346

$1.03 $1.03

33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$2.83 $2.83

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,721

$6.97 $6.97

-78.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,446

$9.23 $9.23

-74.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,333

$2.22 $2.22

-23.42%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,302

$7.03 $7.03

-57.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$18.09 $18.09

-46.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$7.99 $7.99

-48.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$8.07 $8.07

-81.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,994

$10.17 $10.17

-78.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$9.78 $9.78

-76.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,259

$6.25 $6.25

-68.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,242

$8.48 $8.48

-80.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$4.48 $4.48

-73.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,887

$2.04 $2.04

-39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$9.23 $9.23

-58.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$22.99 $22.99

-40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,213

$2.44 $2.44

-31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,553

$5.10 $5.10

-52.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$167 COP 524.1K

$203 $203

-17.93%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$49.16 $49.16

-72.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$50.8 $50.8

-42.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$59.1 $59.1

48.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.9K

$98.5 $98.5

-40.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.1K

$102 $102

35.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$120 $120

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$1,635 $1,635

-37.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$1,322 $1,322

-53.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$3,231 $3,231

-41.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,003 $2,003

-49.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$3,805 $3,805

-82.57%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Dededo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Dededo

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Dededo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Dededo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Dededo

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Dededo

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Dededo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Dededo

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,635 in Dededo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dededo pays 474% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Dededo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $614 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇺 Dededo

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

15 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

45,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,145 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,535 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Dededo 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dededo

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 Dededo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Dededo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 474% lower in Dededo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,635 in Dededo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $2,734 in Dededo – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Dededo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,734 in Dededo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Dededo. 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 $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Dededo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Dededo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.