Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guanacaste

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Guanacaste: $1,614 and $1,548 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guanacaste

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Guanacaste $1,548

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,428 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Guanacaste $2,428

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,309 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Guanacaste $3,309

Medellin costs about 4% more than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Guanacaste sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Guanacaste by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$10.82 ₡4,858

-26.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.4K

$48.68 ₡21.9K

-5.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$11.68 ₡5,245

-18.66%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,873

$4.53 ₡2,035

-31.35%

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

$1.83 COP 5,804

$2.75 ₡1,236

-33.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,363

$1.94 ₡872

-28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,678

$3.16 ₡1,419

-3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.54 ₡2,040

21.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,603

$2.00 ₡896

-27.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,501

$3.04 ₡1,365

-22.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,332

$2.43 ₡1,091

-30.86%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,083

$3.54 ₡1,590

-19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$5.44 ₡2,441

87.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.47 ₡2,005

113.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.84 ₡4,868

29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.56 ₡1,149

58.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,745

$1.64 ₡737

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,896

$4.51 ₡2,025

-51.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,315

$1.56 ₡699

48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,117

$3.90 ₡1,752

-50.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,199

$2.23 ₡1,003

-26.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,573

$0.85 ₡384

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,957

$3.09 ₡1,388

-59.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.42 ₡1,987

-9.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.4K

$20.31 ₡9,120

-34.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,387

$2.90 ₡1,301

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,530

$2.66 ₡1,193

-10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,830

$1.30 ₡583

-6.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,182

$2.45 ₡1,102

-46.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,778

$1.55 ₡698

38.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$8.80 ₡3,950

-3.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,117

$1.55 ₡696

-16.13%

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

$28.0K COP 88.8M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

28.24%

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

$35.4K COP 112.4M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

-0.07%

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

$172 COP 546.0K

$96.5 ₡43.3K

78.37%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$36.34 ₡16.3K

-63.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$32.76 ₡14.7K

-12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.6K

$72.0 ₡32.4K

-37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.57 ₡3,400

-17.04%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$974 ₡437.3K

-20.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-48.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.2K

$65.6 ₡29.5K

31.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.3K

$43.46 ₡19.5K

31.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 433.2K

$88.9 ₡39.9K

53.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.6K

$76.9 ₡34.5K

27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$812 ₡364.7K

29.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$625 ₡280.8K

-1.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,920 ₡862.3K

-1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,264 ₡567.9K

-19.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.62

26.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Guanacaste

$625 40.4% 1.5% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Guanacaste

$311 20.1% 5.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Guanacaste

$166 10.7% 22.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Guanacaste

$124 8% 27.3% $46

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Guanacaste

$220 14.2% 30.4% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Guanacaste

$15 * 1% 83.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Guanacaste

$87 5.6% 50.8% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $812 in Guanacaste. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $49.00 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $311 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,823

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 3,173 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,557 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Guanacaste 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,321 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,548 in Guanacaste. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $974 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guanacaste, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Guanacaste it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guanacaste – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Guanacaste. 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.