Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guararema Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guararema

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Medellin versus $805 in Guararema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Medellin versus $1,291 in Guararema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,216 in Medellin versus $1,777 in Guararema.

Living in Medellin is roughly 106% more expensive than in Guararema, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Guararema is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 COP 24.6K

$6.03 R$30.84

27.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.79 COP 152.7K

$34.09 R$174

40.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 COP 29.7K

$8.45 R$43.19

10.18%

Cappuccino

$3.02 COP 9,644

$1.29 R$6.57

134.11%

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

$1.79 COP 5,725

$1.25 R$6.39

43.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 COP 4,784

$0.87 R$4.43

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 10.4K

$2.00 R$10.21

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.3K

$3.28 R$16.74

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 COP 4,548

$1.07 R$5.44

32.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 8,051

$1.43 R$7.29

76.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,342

$1.32 R$6.74

26.52%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,010

$2.67 R$13.65

5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 COP 32.7K

$11.43 R$58.4

-10.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 COP 30.2K

$4.73 R$24.16

100.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 COP 44.4K

$10.37 R$53.0

34.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 COP 13.2K

$2.33 R$11.93

76.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 COP 4,971

$1.71 R$8.76

-8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 COP 7,055

$1.55 R$7.91

42.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 COP 7,220

$1.50 R$7.68

50.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,345

$1.23 R$6.28

61.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,714

$1.17 R$5.96

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,664

$0.97 R$4.95

18.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,970

$0.86 R$4.40

44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.7K

$2.41 R$12.29

64.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 COP 43.5K

$8.24 R$42.11

65.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 COP 5,345

$1.52 R$7.79

9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 COP 8,771

$2.45 R$12.52

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$1.12 R$5.74

4.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 COP 254.0K

$20.43 R$104

289.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,085

$1.19 R$6.08

7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 COP 6,903

$0.75 R$3.82

188.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 COP 26.4K

$8.21 R$41.97

0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,309

$1.29 R$6.58

4.65%

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

$27.4K COP 87.5M

$15.6K R$79.7K

75.63%

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

$36.0K COP 115.1M

$23.4K R$119.5K

54.10%

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

$173 COP 552.9K

$39.67 R$203

336.32%

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

$13.73 COP 43.9K

$7.80 R$39.88

76.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 COP 90.5K

$15.53 R$79.4

82.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.27 COP 141.4K

$25.02 R$128

76.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 COP 53.1K

$20.26 R$104

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 COP 21.0K

$3.99 R$20.41

64.91%

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

$799 COP 2.6M

$438 R$2,240

82.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,089 COP 29.0M

$9,877 R$50.5K

-7.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 COP 280.7K

$49.09 R$251

79.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 186.8K

$30.24 R$155

93.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 441.9K

$87.4 R$447

58.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 COP 311.3K

$58.1 R$297

67.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$351 R$1,792

194.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 COP 2.1M

$236 R$1,209

173.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 COP 5.9M

$644 R$3,294

186.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 COP 3.3M

$464 R$2,371

121.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,108 COP 13.1M

$1,644 R$8,402

149.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

$1,135 R$5,799

47.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 COP 2.1M

$288 R$1,473

126.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 22, 2026

Last update for Guararema: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,033 in Medellin and $351 in Guararema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 126% 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 $34.00 in Guararema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $215 per month, with Guararema 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 Guararema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guararema is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $1,033 in Medellin versus $351 in Guararema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Medellin versus $805 in Guararema – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Guararema runs roughly 289% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $805 in Guararema versus $1,656 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guararema but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guararema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Guararema is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Guararema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.