Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duque de Caxias Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duque de Caxias

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $771 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,262 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,752 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Medellin costs about 34% more than Duque de Caxias, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Duque de Caxias are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Duque de Caxias 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$6.44 R$32.15

-8.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$30.93 R$154

5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.63 R$33.10

8.60%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.86 R$9.27

-8.60%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.34 R$6.66

-17.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.82 R$4.11

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.78 R$8.89

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.28 R$11.37

35.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.09 R$5.43

-2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.50 R$7.47

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.32 R$6.58

5.30%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.81 R$9.02

24.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.06 R$40.23

-46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.70 R$18.47

57.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.61 R$37.95

16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.26 R$11.27

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.53 R$7.62

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.47 R$7.32

4.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.54 R$7.69

-11.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.23 R$6.15

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.97 R$4.86

15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.57 R$2.85

49.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.61 R$3.05

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.66 R$13.28

-12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.81 R$38.95

42.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.20 R$6.01

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.72 R$13.59

-12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.88 R$4.41

-10.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$38.42 R$192

7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.94 R$4.69

53.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.71 R$3.55

169.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$7.08 R$35.35

13.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.02 R$5.08

-7.84%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$13.5K R$67.4K

32.70%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$17.8K R$88.6K

50.87%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$47.21 R$236

77.84%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$14.77 R$73.7

-35.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$18.50 R$92.3

30.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.11 R$110

17.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$21.41 R$107

-11.07%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.25 R$26.22

-25.33%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$315 R$1,571

-2.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,868 R$34.3K

-13.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$56.0 R$279

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$34.98 R$175

-9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$84.6 R$422

18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$71.9 R$359

49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$320 R$1,597

52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$212 R$1,058

73.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$580 R$2,894

42.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$433 R$2,163

65.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,661 R$8,286

76.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,203 R$6,003

16.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$299 R$1,492

82.40%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Duque de Caxias: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $320 in Duque de Caxias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Duque de Caxias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $180 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Duque de Caxias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 34% more than Duque de Caxias, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,157 in Duque de Caxias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Duque de Caxias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $31.00 in Duque de Caxias. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Duque de Caxias, where all-in costs run around $771, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Duque de Caxias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duque de Caxias costs $771 versus $1,034 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Duque de Caxias. 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.