Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Goa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Goa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $482 in Goa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $817 in Goa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,153 in Goa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 241% more expensive than in Goa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Goa is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.23 ₹308

148.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$15.96 ₹1,525

202.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.89 ₹563

59.93%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.20 ₹115

145.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.36 ₹34.38

416.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.20 ₹19.06

630.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.17 ₹112

174.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.59 ₹247

120.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.75 ₹71.8

92.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.54 ₹51.7

344.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.68 ₹65.3

150.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$0.91 ₹86.6

217.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.19 ₹686

39.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.14 ₹300

217.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.70 ₹163

134.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.77 ₹73.2

105.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.62 ₹155

32.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.45 ₹42.90

411.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.34 ₹32.01

488.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.40 ₹38.20

277.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.55 ₹53.0

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.30 ₹28.80

326.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.20 ₹497

-26.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.04 ₹672

99.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.91 ₹86.6

87.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.85 ₹273

-3.86%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.05 ₹482

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.25 ₹23.81

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$9.71 ₹927

702.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.07 ₹103

22.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.34 ₹32.55

538.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.50 ₹144

452.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.11 ₹106

22.52%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$12.8K ₹1.2M

114.58%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$29.6K ₹2.8M

23.36%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$26.53 ₹2,534

535.96%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.10 ₹296

337.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$9.34 ₹892

203.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$17.08 ₹1,632

167.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$1.04 ₹99.4

1555.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.20 ₹306

107.81%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$111 ₹10.6K

624.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,758 ₹167.9K

422.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$32.23 ₹3,080

171.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$35.10 ₹3,353

69.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$59.8 ₹5,715

132.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$28.52 ₹2,725

257.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$183 ₹17.5K

483.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$163 ₹15.6K

300.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$521 ₹49.8K

269.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$417 ₹39.8K

151.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,169 ₹111.7K

252.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$683 ₹65.2K

148.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$344 ₹32.9K

90.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.12

19.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Goa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $183 in Goa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 90% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Goa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $110 per month, with Goa 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 Goa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Goa differ by about 241% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $482 including rent). Goa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 90% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $183 in Goa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 172% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Goa – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $482 in Goa versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Goa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Goa 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 Goa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 241% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.