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 $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $800 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,284 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,768 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Medellin costs about 29% 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 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$6.43 R$32.71

-6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$31.13 R$158

5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.78 R$34.51

9.44%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.89 R$9.63

-12.70%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.32 R$6.74

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.84 R$4.25

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.85 R$9.40

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.36 R$12.02

35.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.13 R$5.74

-7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.44 R$7.32

-9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.30 R$6.63

3.08%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.86 R$9.45

17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$8.22 R$41.82

-46.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$3.62 R$18.44

57.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$7.50 R$38.14

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.17 R$11.04

7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.47 R$7.50

-24.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.46 R$7.45

4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.58 R$8.03

-13.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.24 R$6.31

-7.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.94 R$4.81

25.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.58 R$2.95

44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.65 R$3.32

32.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.72 R$13.84

-16.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$8.65 R$44.03

34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.19 R$6.06

0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.63 R$13.37

-5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.94 R$4.76

-15.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$37.81 R$192

7.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$0.94 R$4.79

56.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.66 R$3.37

190.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$7.04 R$35.83

10.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.02 R$5.17

-0.98%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$13.7K R$69.8K

28.78%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$17.8K R$90.5K

48.66%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$46.63 R$237

73.92%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$15.27 R$77.7

-38.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$18.57 R$94.5

28.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$22.75 R$116

14.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$21.32 R$108

-12.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$5.28 R$26.88

-22.54%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$319 R$1,624

-1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$6,859 R$34.9K

-12.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$55.9 R$285

6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$36.13 R$184

-11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$87.1 R$443

16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$71.7 R$365

46.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$314 R$1,596

54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$217 R$1,102

68.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$590 R$3,002

40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$423 R$2,151

72.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,305 R$6,642

129.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$569 R$2,894

131.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$298 R$1,519

84.54%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Duque de Caxias: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $314 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 85% 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 $181 – 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 29% 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 $1,542 per month in Medellin and $1,200 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 $800, than in Medellin at $1,028. 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 $800 versus $1,028 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.