Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Encarnacion

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $830 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Encarnacion
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Encarnacion Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Encarnacion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Encarnacion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $830 in Encarnacion.

Medellin $1,639
Encarnacion $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,285 in Encarnacion.

Medellin $2,413
Encarnacion $1,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,739 in Encarnacion.

Medellin $3,186
Encarnacion $1,739

Living in Medellin is roughly 97% more expensive than in Encarnacion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Encarnacion is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.42 ₲26.4K

83.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$34.62 ₲206.5K

35.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.09 ₲42.3K

33.99%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.59 ₲15.4K

16.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.49 ₲8,876

20.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.54 ₲3,240

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$0.96 ₲5,746

231.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.11 ₲12.6K

172.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.10 ₲6,540

37.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.92 ₲5,511

158.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.75 ₲10.4K

1.14%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.56 ₲9,315

85.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.17 ₲30.8K

97.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.28 ₲19.6K

200.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$5.62 ₲33.5K

148.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.15 ₲12.8K

84.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.85 ₲5,053

82.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.86 ₲5,123

153.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.68 ₲9,992

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.89 ₲5,321

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.88 ₲5,224

80.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.56 ₲3,325

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.52 ₲3,117

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.46 ₲8,722

171.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$5.62 ₲33.5K

143.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.85 ₲5,072

95.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.54 ₲9,193

46.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.84 ₲5,028

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$35.00 ₲208.8K

121.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.29 ₲7,680

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.72 ₲4,292

184.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.74 ₲40.2K

26.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.19 ₲7,105

13.45%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$13.8K ₲82.6M

146.05%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$25.8K ₲154.2M

34.12%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$43.84 ₲261.5K

286.98%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$13.41 ₲80.0K

1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$18.79 ₲112.1K

49.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$30.45 ₲181.6K

43.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$13.14 ₲78.4K

30.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.08 ₲36.2K

13.65%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$201 ₲1.2M

295.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,299 ₲19.7M

176.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$56.7 ₲338.3K

49.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$28.01 ₲167.1K

106.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$69.1 ₲412.2K

95.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$70.2 ₲418.8K

39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$508 ₲3.0M

137.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$321 ₲1.9M

99.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$680 ₲4.1M

198.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$535 ₲3.2M

88.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,583 ₲9.4M

163.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,409 ₲8.4M

35.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$367 ₲2.2M

79.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.5

15.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Encarnacion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Encarnacion

$321 38.7% 49.9% $320

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Encarnacion

$141 17% 52.4% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Encarnacion

$76 9.2% 64% $135

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Encarnacion

$105 12.6% 38.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Encarnacion

$101 12.1% 40.3% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Encarnacion

$43 5.2% 53.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Encarnacion

$43 5.1% 26% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $508 in Encarnacion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 79% 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 in Medellin vs $35 in Encarnacion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $141 per month, with Encarnacion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇾 Encarnacion

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

127,600

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,660 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Encarnacion 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Encarnacion

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 Encarnacion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $830 in Encarnacion, so Encarnacion is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $508 in Encarnacion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $830 in Encarnacion – Encarnacion is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Encarnacion runs roughly 55% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $830 in Encarnacion versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Encarnacion but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Encarnacion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Encarnacion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.